After 40 years of denominational service, Russell Halliday, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the North New South Wales Conference (NNSW), announced his retirement at the end of this year.
Throughout his career, Mr Halliday has held senior finance and IT roles at both conference and union levels, serving in various parts of Australia and Papua New Guinea. He began his career in 1984 at Sanitarium Health Foods in Melbourne and has served at NNSW for the past 21 years.
Reflecting on his career, Mr Halliday emphasised his passion for innovation and teamwork. “I just enjoy the innovation and working with teams in this conference that I’ve been privileged to work with, who are prepared to try new things and have a go. A lot of things don’t work, of course, but that’s okay because some things do, and they work very well,” he said.
One of his key contributions has been the development of a church audit software, which has been widely adopted across the division and even overseas. “It’s been rewarding to see something we created here in NNSW make an impact beyond our conference,” he added.
Mr Halliday’s decision to retire comes as he reaches 40 years of continuous service. “It just felt like the right time,” he shared. “I want to leave while I still have my health and can enjoy my retirement. It’s been a long time, and I’m ready to let someone younger have a go.”
Mr Halliday is married to Amanda and they have three adult children.
In his farewell, Mr Halliday expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunities he’s had throughout his career. “I’m just very humbled and appreciative of the opportunities I’ve received, especially in this conference, which has been more than 50 per cent of my years of service. I’ve had amazing opportunities to serve, and there’s nothing I would change or take back. I’ve been very blessed and have learned so much from so many people over the years. Nothing but thanks and praise to God, really,” he said.
The new CFO will be nominated by the NNSW appointments committee by the end of October.
