NEW FACE AT BWR CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
There’s a new face at BWR Chartered Accountants in Hastings and she has a rural Central Hawke’s Bay background. Michelle Monteith became an Associate at BWR last month. “I’m really interested in family projects – mum and dad farmers who have been in business a long time and their accountant might be retiring or they’re looking for a fresh look at their business for succession planning.” Michelle is on the Board of Trustees for Maraekakaho School – attended by son Liam, 9, and daughter Harriet, 7 – and is a new member of the Howard Estate Advisory Board that manages Smedley Station and its cadet training programme.
“It has given me a different perspective and experience within the governance space. Smedley has an established board and has very strong traditions in the face of growing change, including welcoming a female board member and taking their application process online.
“I’ve also been judging this year’s Manawatu Sharemilker-Equity Partner of the Year in the Dairy Industry Awards, having been a previous regional winner.” Michelle says she is looking forward to re-immersing herself in the sheep, beef and deer industries with the same level of passion she’s applied to the dairy industry in recent years. “The equity partnership ethos of the dairy industry crosses easily into other areas of farming now. I know dairy farming through and through from our time in CHB and I grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Waikato and at Elsthorpe so I’m returning to my roots too.”
Michelle says she sees herself in a coaching role, showing clients how to analyse different options they come up with for their business, and also a mentoring role, asking if their ideas will benefit or contribute to their business. “There’s a real changing of the guard at the moment with new software packages enabling farmers who are numbers driven to make the most out of their time with their accountant. It’s about making sure their structures are right, offering business advice and creating connections and networks with other driven farmers as well as having the confidence that we’ve maximised tax opportunities and have got everything right. Clients will get proactive, current and relevant updates on all tax and industry related changes when they are working with me, giving them the chance to front foot opportunities as they arise.”
“The relationship between a farmer and their accountant is not just the annual meeting, rather it’s a partnership focused on validating decisions against operational objectives of today and strategic objectives of tomorrow.”