By Jess Baker
A local woman has assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer at Warwick Credit Union after 11 years of service within the organisation.
Warwick identity Kellie Doherty formerly served as a regulatory accountant at the community-owned financial institution and said the step up was something she had wanted for some time.
As CFO, Kellie is now responsible for upholding the financial wellbeing of the credit union and its 14,000 members across Allora, Killarney, Warwick, Inglewood, Dalby and Gympie.
She said she hopes that in her new role she will be able to assist the credit union in continuing to operate in a profitable and sustainable way and in supporting its many members.
“It’s a great opportunity and I’m very thankful to the board for giving me the opportunity,” she said.
Whilst Kellie’s sights had been set on a ‘business-related’ job since her school days at Warwick West State School and Assumption College, she said her path to CFO was not clear cut.
After finishing high school, up until the age of 25, Kellie spent her days working in agriculture administration. But her childhood love of numbers always lingered in the background.
“I was always pretty nerdy. I loved accounting in school,” Kellie said.
“I enjoyed that there was a definite answer (and) I just knew that I needed to study to further my opportunities.”
Kellie began studying accounting part-time at university whilst working full-time in grain trading and, after seven years of study, Kellie had completed a Bachelor of Commerce.
She went on to complete a Chartered Accountant accounting program with Warwick Credit Union – and thus began her impressive career in finance.
Kellie said there are many advantages to working at the credit union, but what she loves most is the close relationship between staff, the board of directors, the institution’s members, and the wider community.
“We’re very cautious about spending our money in town. Community sponsorship is a really great thing about the Warwick Credit Union,” she said.
“We actually put the money back into the community … we sponsor lots of little events from bowls days right up to the rodeo and Jumpers and Jazz and the Warwick Cup.”
Warwick Gympie Dalby Credit Union has now been in operation for more than 50 years – each year sponsoring hundreds of clubs and providing marquee hire and EFTPOS facilities to hundreds of local organisations.
The credit union has always had a strong community focus, having been established in Gympie in 1968, and in Warwick in 1970, by men and women who believed in keeping money in the regions.
The group offers home, investment, personal, rural and business loans, savings and fixed interest term investment accounts, insurance and a full range of online and card payments, with all profits kept in local areas to benefit locals.
The credit union’s first ever member actually remains a member today, which Kellie said is testament to the group’s focus on customer service.
“We need to have the right fit for the right person. We’ve got customer service for the customers that don’t want to use ATMs, and then we’ve got online apps for the young people,” Kellie said.
“We make sure that we’re across what our customers need. That’s our main thing – that you can actually talk to a real person who understands what you’re after.”
