Our leaders

Mercy Community is run by an exceptional group of individuals who ensure our services remain relevant and responsive to your needs.

Our Executive Team

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Fritha Radyk

Chief Executive Officer

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Justin Lorenz

Chief Financial Officer

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Bernadette Praske

Chief Operating Officer

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Karen Cicero

Chief People Officer

Tim Nayton

Chief Risk Officer

Barry Lenihan

General Manager, First Nations

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Shanelle Bennett

General Manager, Mission Integration

Janet Rhodes

General Manager, Aged Care Services

David Jukes

General Manager, Disability Supports

Melanie Steele

General Counsel and Company Secretary

Our Board

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Rowena McNally

Chair

Jeff-Carlos

Jeff Carlos

Deputy Chair

Steve-Hambleton

Dr Steve Hambleton

Non-Executive Director

Mary-Lowcock

Mary Lowcock

Non-Executive Director

Patrick-O'Sullivan

Patrick O’Sullivan

Non-Executive Director

Chris-Foley

Dr Christine Foley

Non-Executive Director

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Michael Keir

Non-Executive Director

Peter-Forday

Peter Forday

Non-Executive Director

Our Governance

Mercy Community (the ministry) is governed under the sponsorship of Mercy Partners.  The ministry was entrusted to Mercy Partners by the Sisters of Mercy Brisbane Congregation in April 2018. 

The Mercy Partners ministerial Public Juridic Person (PJP) assumes the role of the canonical sponsor of Mercy Community.  The civil relationship is that Mercy Partners Limited is the sole Member of the organisation that operates the Ministry.  The day-to-day operations of Mercy Community remain under the governance of the Mercy Community board.  

Mercy Partners commits to ensure that their ministries flourish as a Catholic ministry that contributes to the emergence of a world where the healing, liberating and life-giving mercy of God is experienced.

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Fritha Radyk

CEO

Fritha was appointed CEO of Mercy Community in July 2019. She is a successful executive with impeccable leadership credentials, having led complex projects and operations for a large management consulting, healthcare and community services organisations in Australia and overseas for more than 20 years. Her warm and engaging leadership style coupled with her strong business acumen provides a firm foundation for Mercy Community to deliver quality, values-aligned disability, aged care and family services to communities in Queensland and Northern NSW.

Fritha began her career at Ernst and Young in New Zealand where she specialised in strategic planning, project management and process reengineering with a subspecialisation in Healthcare. She also spent time in Canada running a Healthcare and Education consulting firm with colleagues from Ernst and Young.  After leaving consulting Fritha found her passion in operations with key line management roles as manager of the Mergers and Acquisitions team for the New Zealand Commerce Commission, and operations manager for the Chemistry Group at Industrial Research Limited.

After moving to Australia she called on her management consulting background again working in private equity specialising in small growing companies. Returning to her roots in Healthcare she then spent several years at Mater Health Services completing a major change program for the main site, including the closure of the Mater Children’s Hospital, and then moved on to open and lead a new regional Mater Hospital in Springfield. In her next role as COO of Icon Cancer Care, she led a large team of healthcare professionals across Australia and worked with the leadership team and private equity investors to drive accelerated growth of the organisation.

At Mercy Community, Fritha is excited to be working with the Board and Leadership Team to deliver sustainable and mission-driven services that meet the needs of local communities today and tomorrow. She also enjoys the strong personal alignment she has with the Mercy mission, counting her role as a Foster Mum among her proudest achievements.

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Justin Lorenz

Chief Financial Officer

Justin has over 20 years financial management experience through a combination of both external advisory and in-house corporate roles.

He began his career in investment banking with Credit Suisse in Sydney. This involved advising corporate clients on mergers and acquisition transactions across a range of industries including oil and gas, metals and mining, transportation, agribusiness and infrastructure. These transactions included public market takeover defences, asset divestment processes, competitive asset acquisitions and a number of associated equity capital markets transactions.

After returning to Brisbane he joined senior living operator Aveo Group.  Across nearly 15 years at Aveo he had a number of different management roles across their retirement village and care businesses.  While predominantly focused on the financial and strategic side of the Aveo business, it also included operational roles such as the responsibility for managing the operations of 37 Aveo communities through Queensland and NSW for a number of years.

This diverse experience enables Justin to appreciate the challenges of faced by both head office staff as well as front line operational staff, and the teamwork required to deliver great outcomes to clients.

Bernadette Praske

Chief Operating Officer​

Bernadette Praske has worked in executive and senior management operational roles for health and social care providers as well as service planning, service design and engagement. She is experienced in developing sustainable health and social care pathways for client groups and has led state and national allied health and community care service delivery teams.

Most recently Bernadette was General Manager Disability Supports for Mercy Community. Bernadette places values at the forefront of working with others, and leads with a consultative, inclusive and strengths based approach.

She has a strong focus on integrity of care and the provision of high quality person-centred support that is respectful of each individual client’s needs, preferences, goals and life journey.

Karen Cicero

Chief People Officer​

Karen Cicero is a values-driven leader whose passion and extensive human resource experience has seen her champion high performing teams and transform change aligned with strategic directives. 

With a background in health, engineering, and logistics organisations, including diverse positions with Epworth HealthCare, Mercy Health, CFA in Victoria, Mater, and Qantas, she is a valuable addition to Mercy Community’s leadership team. Karen holds Bachelor and Master of Business qualifications and is a certified leadership coach and TMS facilitator. 

Her strong commitment is to create a workplace that fosters connection, friendship, camaraderie, and meaningful opportunities for its employees. Karen’s vision for the People & Culture portfolio is to ensure clear Mission and First Nations lenses are across the business, grow and nurture talent, and shape a positive culture. 

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Tim Nayton

General Manager, Governance & Risk

Tim has a passion for achieving excellence in health, aged and community care services through the development and implementation of clinical governance, enterprise risk and quality management systems.

Tim commenced his professional career as a Physiotherapist and completed a postgraduate qualification in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and focused on that specialised area for several years before moving into managing occupational health.

After completing an MBA and graduate qualifications in Clinical Governance Tim commenced his executive career in health, aged and community care which has spanned over 15 years working in many parts of Australia with multinational, national and state-based organisations.

Through his educational qualifications, clinical expertise, and senior executive experience within commercial and mission-based organisations, Tim comes to Mercy Community with a unique range of skills and experience.

Throughout his management career Tim’s leadership philosophy has been based on three key tenets; to achieve service excellence, to build operational and financial resilience, and to grow organisational capability – especially through people and technology.

Tim is always focussed on developing processes and frameworks that enable an organisation to consistently meet the principles of person-centred care by ensuring people are treated with compassion and dignity, where they participate in decision making, and where the client’s needs and aspirations are foremost in the care planning process

Mercy Community's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Regional Cultural Lead, Laurie Stewart, and General Manager First Nations, Barry Lenihan stand with their arms around each other's shoulders smiling at the camera.
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Barry Lenihan

General Manager, First Nations

Barry Lenihan is a Yuin and Dharawal man with nearly 20 years’ experience in roles specialising in matters impacting Aboriginal people and communities. Notably, Barry led the capacity building program implementing child protection reforms and the transition of OOHC case management from NSW government to the ACCO sector.

Barry will lead programs and change as part of Mercy Community’s commitment to First Nations people across our organisation and the communities we support.

Shanelle Bennett

General Manager, Mission Integration

Shanelle Bennett was appointed to the Director Mission Integration role in November 2018, a vital role in our organisation, which is responsible for integrating Mercy Community’s mission and values. Shanelle and has been part of Mercy Community since 2016, where she was in a Pastoral Care and Volunteer Coordinator role at our Aged Care facility. It was here that she increased the number of volunteers by 150%, delivered pastoral care to residents, and initiated many beneficial programs and relationships for Mercy Community.

Shanelle has a wealth of experience in counselling and pastoral care, including roles with Salvation Army, Australian Catholic University, Queensland Department of Corrections, and an Executive Director position with NET Ministries. While at NET Ministries, Shanelle, along with her husband, developed a cutting-edge youth ministry across Australia, which was authentic, sustainable, and adaptable. Shanelle and her husband also established an international ministry in Uganda.

Shanelle brings to the role strong servant leadership skills, empathy, and a person-centred approach. She has excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to drive cultural and transformational change in an organisation.

Shanelle is married with three grown children, who now have families of their own.

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Janet Rhodes

General Manager, Aged Care Services

Janet has held senior executive roles since 2005. She joined the executive team in April 2021, and has been instrumental in harmonising Mercy Community’s expanding Aged Care Services stream throughout Queensland and New South Wales. 

From 2005 to 2010, Janet worked in the United Kingdom as a senior public health manager across primary and secondary care. She is a registered nurse and holds a Master of Science in Nursing Health Research and Policy, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Hons Health Studies and BSc Hons Community Practitioner and Public Health. 

Since coming to Australia in 2010, Janet has worked for not-for-profit and faith-based organisations. She has also had experience working in an advisory and consulting capacity for compliance management. 

With a background in nursing, Janet has a strong foundation of practical and operational knowledge, which is now complemented by a wealth of strategic experience across primary and secondary care including retirement living, residential care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and community. 

“I am passionate about quality of care and equity of service,” Janet said. 

“I believe aged care is a relationship industry and relationships matter. It is a service built on successful relationships and partnerships. 

“I believe services built on relationships deliver a quality, meaningful journey for each individual resident and client… a quality care journey that can be delivered sustainably within the current financial constraints of aged care.” 

David Jukes

General Manager, Disability Supports

David Jukes champions innovation, continuous improvement, and excellence.

Commencing his professional career in Information Technology, David left the IT world behind in 2014 to work in the community services and aged care sector. Since then, he has shaped a highly successful career which more closely aligns with his personal goal to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable people who need support.

David was promoted to the position of General Manager in July 2023, after initially being employed as Mercy Community’s Director of Individualised Supports.

Since 2020, David has worked exclusively in the disability supports sector, a community which he admires for its remarkably resilient people who have faced great adversity and triumphed with humility and perseverance.

He finds working in the disabilities sector deeply satisfying with personal and professional fulfilment attainable through making a positive difference in the lives of others.

David is proud of the unique and empowering services Mercy Community offers, and he is committed to keeping our mission and values at the heart of everything Disability Supports does.

He is strongly focused on finding ways to better understand how the Disability Supports team can contribute to individual goals and collecting evidence of the value of Mercy Community’s contribution to continually improve service delivery and outcomes.

Melanie Steele

General Counsel

Melanie commenced her journey with Mercy Community in July 2022 with a desire to apply her legal and non-legal skills and experience to support the Mercy Community team in its mission.

Having started her career at a national law firm, Melanie has also worked in medium and small law firms as well as in non-legal roles in small business. With a long-held goal to work in-house and be part of an organisation, in August 2019 Melanie took on the role of Senior Legal Counsel at Lactalis Australia, a national milk and dairy manufacturer producing brands such as Pauls, Oak, Ice Break and Vaalia.  Her aspiration to contribute further to the community led her to Mercy Community.

As an inhouse lawyer, Melanie loves working with people within an organisation to find solutions.  As a member of the Executive Team, Melanie brings an innovative legal perspective and approach.

Melanie holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Business (Management) from Queensland University of Technology and is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland. She is also a member of the Queensland Law Society.

Kym Langill

General Manager, Families & Young People Services

Kym commenced in the role of Executive Director Families & Young People Services  in November 2017.  In this role, Kym is responsible for leading the Families and Young People Services portfolio in: the mission, vision and values; strategic and high quality operations of the service delivery; and communication and engagement of stakeholders.

Kym brings to the role a wealth of experience in the community services sector. Prior to joining Mercy Community Kym was an experienced NSW Public Sector Senior Executive spanning both Human Service and Central agencies including Department of Premier & Cabinet, Family and Community services and Juvenile Justice. She has demonstrated expertise in change management and reform implementation.   Kym has a long work history with the NGO sector – most recently as the Director Housing and Homelessness for a large NGO in Northern NSW.

Kym shows leadership in strategic engagement both inside the organisation and in partnership with external stakeholders. Her successes include redesigning a number of service systems including the Specialist Homeless Services, Out of Home Care services and Universal Early Intervention services in Northern NSW.

In this role, Kym’s aim is to support the organisation to lead the Families and Young People Directorate to achieve its strategic objectives and to help drive transformation.  Kym believes it’s important to consolidate the great work Families and Young People deliver consistent with the MC mission and values and at the same time provide strategic direction for the commercial objectives within an expanding and dynamic service sector.

Kym is a relationship builder, a strategist and a strong collaborator known for her friendly, energetic can-do attitude.

When Kym isn’t behind her desk or in meetings, she’s an avid fitness fanatic as a Les Mills gym instructor and forever mum to her rescued 10 year old golden retriever, Blossom.

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Rowena Mcnally

Chair

Rowena has over 25 years’ experience as a board director and board chair. She has served on a number of national and regional boards across a broad range of areas including Catholic and government hospital, health and aged care services, disability, water and energy infrastructure and professional membership organisations.

Rowena has held several roles with Church entities including as a past Chair of Catholic Health Australia. She currently serves on the Archdiocesan Development Fund board, and as the Chair of Sugar Research Limited and Isa Rodeo Ltd and Advisory Council to the Queensland Energy and Water Ombudsman.

Rowena holds a Bachelor of Law and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute for Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders and a Fellow of the Resolution Institute.

Qualifications: LLB, FAICD, FAIML, FRI

Jeff-Carlos

Jeff Carlos

Deputy Chair

Jeff joined the Board as Deputy Chair on 24 February 2021.  He is also chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Jeff has over 40 years’ experience as a Chartered Accountant and has 20 years’ experience as board director and chair.  He has worked in public practice consulting to corporate and family groups in the areas of Audit, Taxation, Superannuation and Business Planning.

Directorships held include both profit and non-for-profit companies including mission-based organisations.  Currently Jeff also sits on the finance council for The Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for The Diocese of Rockhampton, the body of governance for Central Queensland Catholic Education schools and colleges, Centacare, Diocesan Development Fund and the Diocese and Parishes.  Jeff is also a member of the Queensland Bishops Provincial Salary Remuneration Committee.

Jeff has previously been a Registered Company Auditor and Superannuation Fund Auditor and has an extensive experience on finance, audit and risk committees as well as interacting with many such committees in the capacity of external auditor.

Qualifications: BBus, FCA, FCPA, MAICD

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Dr Steve Hambleton

Non-Executive Director

Dr Steve Hambleton is a General Practitioner in Brisbane.  He is a former State and Federal President of the Australian Medical Association and is the Chief Clinical Advisor to the Australian Digital Health Agency and Chairs their Clinical Governance Committee.  He also serves on the boards of Avant Mutual Group Limited and the Digital Health CRC.   He is a former President of the AMA Queensland Foundation and served as an independent director of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council for two years.  He is Chair of the Service Delivery and Quality Committee and the Ethics Committee.

Qualifications: MBBS, FAMA, FRACGP(hon), FAICD

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Mary Lowcock

Non-Executive Director

Mary Lowcock is a Sister of Mercy of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAPNG) and has a broad range of experience in various sectors within the Catholic Church.

Her early years in ministry were in teaching and administration in a number of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Townsville but in the 1990’s she accepted other ministries within the Church.

Mary was a member of the Leadership Team of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy Townsville, the Executive Officer of Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Townsville, the Director of Catholic Mission in the Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Executive Officer of Catholic Religious Australia, Queensland. In these positions, throughout her life, Mary was a member of many committees and boards.

In recent years, Mary retired from active ministry and has been enjoying more rest and relaxation, pursuing hobbies such as cooking.  Mary lives in Townsville and is a member of the Mary MacKillop Parish, Mundingburra.

Qualifications: Diploma of Teaching, BA, MTh, MBA

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Patrick O'Sullivan

Non-Executive Director

Patrick O’Sullivan is the Corporate Services Executive at Brisbane Catholic Education, a position he has held since March 2020. Patrick is a seasoned senior executive with a strong background in financial services, asset and infrastructure services, procurement services and governance. As the Corporate Services Executive, Patrick is responsible for the people and culture, asset and infrastructure, financial services and office services functions.

Previously, Patrick worked with St Vincent’s Health Australia in the roles of Executive General Manager, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer for St Vincent’s Care Services (the aged care arm of St Vincent’s Health Australia). In this role he stewarded significant transformative changes to the delivery of consumer-based aged care, focusing on streamlining service delivery, strengthening governance and maintaining a culture of continuous improvement.

He has been instrumental in establishing new models and frameworks for the provision of health and aged care support services embedded in a culture of excellence and integrity.

Patrick holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Queensland and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

He has been a significant contributor to several Archdiocesan Committees in Brisbane, including Centacare. He has also previously held a number of governance roles including Councillor on the Mercy Partners Council and a Director of Mt St Michael’s College Ltd.

Qualifications: BCOM, ACA

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Dr Christine Foley

Non-Executive Director

Christine (Chris) has worked in the healthcare industry since 1985.  She is a hospital trained Registered nurse and holds an undergraduate degree in nursing and a range of post graduate qualifications in management, built environment and a Doctor of Philosophy. Chris is currently appointed as the Director of Clinical Governance for health, community and residential aged care in Mater Health.

Chris’s career has seen her work across all sectors of health from public to private, metropolitan and regional, community services and aged care.  She has held state and national Executive roles with a strong focus on Clinical Governance, quality and risk management, clinical care, consumer partnerships, clinical deterioration and effective communication.

Chris has previously been appointed as a Member of the Queensland Board of the Australian Medical Board and a Member of the Board for Wesley Medical Research. She has developed a strong interest in translational research in health and aged care and completed research at doctoral level on the relationship nurses have with policy in their everyday work.

Chris has a deep connection with the philosophy of servant leadership and has a proven track record in public sector and catholic health and aged care governance in developing and sustaining a strong and positive workplace culture where respect, transparency and quality of service thrive.

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Michael Keir

Non-Executive Director

With over 25 years experience, Michael Keir (Keir Steele Waldon Lawyers) practices law primarily in the areas of rural, commercial, corporate, mergers and acquisitions, health industry and property development.

Advising agribusiness operators, local governments, government owned corporations, corporate and family businesses across a range of industries requires an appreciation of the commercial reality involved in each particular transaction, which Michael’s business sense allows him.

He has quality experience in the beef, cane, aquaculture, aviation, energy, solar, marine, mining, quarry, health, probity, property and construction industries and sits on several private advisory boards in that regard.

Qualifications: LLB(Hons), BCOM

Peter-Forday

Peter Forday

Non-Executive Director

Peter Forday has served on the Board since 2019 and as the Chair of the People, Culture and Safety Committee since 2020.

His career spans four decades and has included roles ranging from direct service delivery, program and policy development and management through to executive leadership roles at CEO and Board level.  He has worked within and alongside community, government and private industry on issues including disability, refugee settlement, diversity and inclusion, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation, child protection, youth justice, crime prevention, health, housing, employment, education and sport.

Peter is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow with Griffith University, a Board Director at Multicultural Australia and Mental Health Lived Experience Peak Queensland and a member of the Cohesive Communities Coalition.  He is also an independent consultant offering facilitation and performance coaching for individuals, teams and organisations seeking better ways to engage, develop and lead others.

Qualifications: B Sp Thy (Hon), Grad Dip Soc Sc (Counselling), MILP, MAICD

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