John Barriga loves reaching new heights.
When he isn’t fulfilling his role as Diocesan Chief Executive for Newcastle Anglican, you’ll often find him up in the skies over Canberra.
“I took up flying lessons about a year ago,” he says.
“It’s something that I’ve found to be extremely rewarding from a psychosocial and wellbeing perspective.
“It requires spatial awareness, which is something that really challenges body and mind. You have to multi-task at an extreme level because you’re performing a number of simultaneous actions, monitoring so many dials, talking, and listening.
“Nothing can go wrong or else you fall out of the sky. It teaches you that you can’t get overconfident.
“On one occasion, I was just coming down to land, ticked every box, and my flight instructor was saying: ‘John, this is going to be a perfect flight.’
“Then, minutes before we were about to land, we hit a sudden pocket , the plane just dropped, and we had to go around again.
“It wasn’t like I was in any danger, but it was just a reminder that you can’t take anything for granted until you’re on the ground.”
For more than three years, John has helped Newcastle Anglican to soar.
In his role, he oversees the organisation’s entire operations and delivery of strategy while also looking after shared services and offering support for parishes.
He works closely with Bishop Peter, the assistant bishops, the Newcastle Anglican Corporation (NAC) board, diocesan council and the executive team to ensure everyone is aligned on plans for the future.
John believes the sky’s the limit for Newcastle Anglican.
“We’ve been focusing on psychosocial safety, which is extremely important, and bringing all agencies closer from a cultural perspective,” he says.
“When I started, people identified with Samaritans or Anglican Care. Now, everywhere I walk we identify as Newcastle Anglican.
“It has been a fantastic journey.”
“We have an exciting three to five-year journey in being more competitive and considering where we can grow – whether that’s schools, residential facilities, or Samaritans services – and having closer relationships with government, industry, and regulators.
“The NAC board, Bishop Peter and our executive team have a really good view of where we want to transform, where we want to change, and where we need to go.
“We are large, we are complex, but we can be a very successful force in our region.
“Everyone is aligned to that, so we can make it work.”
John’s career spans almost 30 years.
Prior to Newcastle Anglican, he led large teams in commercial and government environments in Australia, Canada, and the United States.
His decision to join Newcastle Anglican was born from a desire to experience the “other side” and represent people in the community.
“Two of my greatest passions are helping others and the environment,” he says.
“Newcastle Anglican came and ticked all the boxes, not only from helping the community but I’m a big advocate on inclusivity.
“I align well with the values, I greatly respect the vision that Bishop Peter has for the diocese, and it’s great to lead and support that vision.”
When he’s not working, commuting to and from Canberra – where he lives – or taking flying lessons, John enjoys watching his favourite soccer team, Chelsea FC, as well as spending time with his family and travelling.
“I’ve been a football fan my whole life and a Chelsea FC fan for about 30 years,” he adds.
“My three boys, who are 20, 18 and 16, are big soccer fans, too.
“I see a lot of similarities between businesses and sports. You learn a lot about teams, cultures, successes, competition, and failures. Things in a sport, you can find in an organisation.
“I also love travelling and learning and connecting with different cultures, meeting people that bring a different perspective and experiences.
“Going behind the scenes and seeing the true cultures is what I love.”
