Chris Karagiannis
CEO
Chris joined The Salvation Army in 2019, bringing his experience in management and leadership roles in local and state government and the not-for-profit sector, with qualifications in project management and business administration. Chris has held senior operational and commercial roles in the aged care, property, and housing sectors, and is a passionate advocate for social and affordable housing, serving as a director of the Community Housing Industry Association.
Dean Laurence
General Manager Strategy, Compliance and Finance
Dean is an experienced commercial executive with over 25 years’ experience at c-suite level in construction, development, property sectors, not-for profit and social services sectors.
His passion for social justice, human rights and supporting the disadvantaged is demonstrated with his 10 years’ experience at Board level with various not-for-profit organisations in the disability and welfare sectors.
Moving from one of Australia's largest employment service providers, The Salvation Army's Employment Plus, to Salvation Army Housing in 2023, Dean continues to apply his qualifications to benefit those in need. Dean holds a master’s qualifications in business and finance and is a member of the Governance Institute of Australia, an Alumnus of Leadership Victoria, and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Cheri Erai-Collins
State Manager — Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland
Since 2014, Cheri has been in management roles for Salvation Army Housing. Prior to this, she worked in the community sector in Northern Ireland, working closely with a range of community welfare organisations.
Cheri also holds tertiary qualifications in finance. As a key and respected member of The Salvation Army, she brings a broad range of technical, financial, and interpersonal skills, with a focus on integrated mission delivery.
Irena Baric
State Manager — Tasmania and Victoria, MBA
Irena holds over 15 years' experience working with marginalised communities, to help integration into the community and housing. She is passionate about creating affordable housing while assisting people build life skills while sustaining their housing. She is also focused on supporting young people.
Irena served as Deputy Chair at Western Edge Youth Arts for over six years and is dedicated to achieving growth through new initiatives and execution of innovative strategies. Irena is also a member of the Bachelor of Business Course Advisory Committee.
Bethany Critchley
State Manager — Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia
Bethany is driven by her passion for helping people and takes pride in providing the best community housing services possible.
Her goals include providing long term supportive accommodation for those most vulnerable and supporting her teams to deliver the best outcomes possible. Bethany also plays a key role in system and database management, and enhancement projects for The Salvation Army.
Glen Plummer
General Manager Infrastructure
With an extensive background spanning architecture, development finance, facilities management and real estate, Glen comes to The Salvation Army from the global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. There he was Director of Projects and Development Services across South Australia.
Glen has a long history in delivering complex developments spanning institutional, commercial, aviation, health care and residential including large multi-use developments. And has a particular interest, and extensive experience, in facilities management and the strategic implementation of policy, systems and processes that support the delivery and optimisation of our properties.
Barry Wilson, CPA
Joining the team in 2019, Barry brings extensive finance experience in oil and gas, construction, trading and retail sectors. He also has a background in sales, marketing, technology, project management and project governance. Barry is passionate about improving client outcomes and building our social impact.
