Executive Leadership Team
Autism Queenslandโs (AQ) Executive Leadership Team provides strategic direction and leads the organisationโs operations, translating our strategic priorities into action across our services.
The team oversees organisational performance, supports our people, and drives continuous improvement to ensure we deliver meaningful outcomes for autistic people, their families, and communities. Meet our Executive Leadership Team below and learn more about the leaders working to advance AQโs vision of a life of participation, opportunity, and choice.
Ms Frances Scodellaro
Chief Executive Officer
Frances has worked in the field of autism for more than 35 years, beginning her career as a speech pathologist. She has held senior management positions with Autism Queensland since 2004, most recently as Chief Operations Officer. Frances holds a Bachelor of Speech Therapy, an Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Queensland and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She serves as a Director on the Australian Advisory Board on Autism and the Australian Autism Alliance and is a member of the Queensland Disability Advisory Council.ย
Mr Jeff Frazer
Chief Finance & People Officer
Jeff is an experienced accounting and finance expert with 20 years experience at KPMG Australia (10 as a partner). Jeff has considerable experience working with not-for-profits and is currently the Chair of the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation and a Director of Surfing Queensland.
Ms Kim Sheather
Chief Operations Officer
Kim is an accomplished leader known for driving positive change and fostering inclusive work environments. She began her career as an occupational therapist and is passionate about promoting and supporting inclusion and accessibility. Before joining AQ in 2019, Kim gained extensive experience in senior therapy and management positions across various disability organisations in Australia. This equipped her with the skills to develop innovative service models, build strong internal and external relationships, and advocate for policy reform in the ever-evolving landscape of disability services.
Mr David Johnston
General Manager, Innovation & Growth
David has worked across technology leadership, digital transformation, and process improvement in the financial services and community services sectors for more than 20 years. He joined Autism Queensland in 2022 and was promoted to General Manager, Innovation & Growth in 2023, where he leads the organisation’s technology strategy, cyber security, data governance, digital transformation, and property and facilities management. Prior to joining Autism Queensland, David held technology leadership roles with Open Minds and Multicap. He also spent 14 years at Heritage Bank where he led intelligent automation initiatives including Robotic Process Automation, and held roles spanning project management and process improvement. David has a Bachelor of Computing Science from the University of Southern Queensland, a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Australia, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and PRINCE2 certifications. He has also lectured in Project Management at the University of Southern Queensland.