My passion is to ensure clients have the correct structure for their businesses and have their succession planning in place sooner rather than later. There are so many instances where early planning could make it possible for a family farm to be purchased by one of the younger generation.  If it is left too late there is often no other alternative than for the farm be sold to enable parents to treat all their children fairly. 

I have operated accounting practices in Dannevirke, Waipukurau and now Whakatane for the past thirty years and have had a lot of experience working with farmers, succession planning and small business in a rural setting. 

For most of my adult life I have been joint owner of a sheep & beef farm outside of Dannevirke and have now gone into an equity partnership with the farm manager and his wife with the goal of farm ownership for them. 

I am also heavily involved in the kiwifruit industry alongside my husband, Ian Craig. Ian is well-known in Opotiki as co-founder of OPAC and for his success in the kiwifruit industry. He is now also Chairman of Whakatohea Mussels (Opotiki) Ltd.

Together we have interests in syndicates involved in sheep & beef and dairy farms, kiwifruit, apples and hops, all of which gives us an insight into these industries which I can use for the benefit of our clients. 

Shannon is passionate about the New Zealand primary sector.

With extensive experience in the dairy, sheep & beef and horticulture sectors, Shannon has held a number of senior management and accounting roles including being 2IC at a NZ Agribusiness with global reach. As a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, Shannon also holds directorship roles alongside being a partner and manager of Rural Accountants Limited Partnership.

Growing up on a sheep & beef farm in Southern Hawkes Bay, Shannon's farming background has continued to guide her career from the moment she left school. Her accounting career started straight out of school in a farm accountancy practice. She then gained her BBS majoring in Accounting and Management at Massey University, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Agri Commerce. 

Shannon also has investments in agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture businesses where she is able to practice what she preaches and truly walks the talk.

Shannon is a 2020 Nuffield Scholar, with her project area being plant variety rights.

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Juanita is now working towards becoming a Partner in our business. Juanita brings a broad range of experience and skills with her two degrees (Accounting and Marketing & Public Relations) and from working in chartered accounting firms since 2012.

Juanita lives in Opotiki with her husband Ross and their son. She enjoys spending time with her family when she's not helping our clients here at Rural Accountants.

Hailing from Rotorua, she might have a Bachelor's degree in English, but she traded sonnets for spreadsheets faster than you can say "double-entry bookkeeping." An "OE" to England after university led to a decade long stay, where an opportunity working in a securities firm led to retraining as an accountant with ACCA.

Since 2007, she's been a Management Accountant in various roles, swapping London's red buses for New Zealand's rolling hills. It turns out her lifelong interest in "Country Calendar" wasn't just idle daydreaming, jumping at the chance to use her skills at Rural Accountants.

In addition to being a numbers guru, she's a wife and mom to two little adventurers and made the brave leap to the Eastern Bay in 2014, proving that even accountants have their wild side.

Dave’s passion is getting the job done as easily & efficiently as possible.

Dave’s background is in banking, having spent over 33 years working for ANZ at various spots around NZ, including Whakatane back in the 80’s (when Interest rates were 20+ %). A majority of those years he was involved in the Business banking side of the Bank from lending money to recovering money & most bits in between.

Now Dave's role revolves around Administration, Wages/PAYE/Payday filing, Keeping records up to date for NZ Companies Office and also our AML/CFT compliance officer.

Dave has a love for sport, more watching than participating these days.

Jane Tyson is originally from the South Island and grew up as an army brat near the military camp of Burnham, Christchurch.

When her dad got a job at the Dental School in Dunedin, Jane went to school at Otago Girls’ High School and attended Teacher’s College. She then began working for Social Welfare.

She moved from the South Island to Hamilton in the 1980s. Next was a move to Whakatane where she embarked on her best project; her two children Jeff and Emma, before running her own garden sculpture business.

When a Prideaux & Co receptionist left and no replacement was organised, Jane found herself filling in. She was “so awesome” that she grew into doing accounting, where she has remained ever since.

In her spare time, Jane is a great squash player.

With 20 years in the accounting industry, Sharon brings extensive knowledge and experience to her role as Senior Administrator. Her work is varied, centering around supporting the staff with all their administrative needs, and she enjoys the different challenges that arise from that variability. She is valued by the staff for her fantastic work ethic and sharp sense of humour.

She lives in Whakatane with her husband and enjoys spontaneous trips and adventures, whether that be within New Zealand or overseas.

With a passion for numbers and helping people to understand their finances, Carlene brings over 10 years of experience in administration and accounting as well as a Diploma in Accounting. Her goal is to one day become a Chartered Accountant.

Carlene’s family came to New Zealand from South Africa in 2019, eventually settling in Whakatane where she enjoys baking, being in nature, and spending time with her husband and 2 children.

With a strong focus on client relationships, Carlene is excited to further herself in the accounting industry.

With several years’ experience in managerial administration and financial accounting positions, Gaylene has wide and varied knowledge that is valued by all her Rural Accountants clients.

Gaylene grew up on a dairy farm and  loved this lifestyle so much that she ended up marrying a farmer, too. She also holds a Dairy Diploma which she sought as a way to grow her knowledge of agricultural dynamics, and achieve success and profitability in her family farming business.

"I enjoy striving to achieve better, stronger working relationships. My results have been excellent and I thrive on improving myself and being successful."

Emma grew up on a remote sheep and beef farm in Southern Hawkes Bay and hasn’t been able to shake the need for rural living since.

She attended Otago University where she picked up a triple major in marketing management, design studies and economics. She furthered her studies in Wellington with an honours degree in public policy.

The travel bug then hit with Emma spending the majority of 10 years overseas moving around Australia, Asia, and Europe. She became a holistic massage therapist and yoga teacher, working in several high-end resorts and lodges.

Her return to NZ saw her settle into the rural lifestyle and take a role managing accounts receivable for a large transport company. She now has a young family and has recently joined the Rural Accountants team to manage marketing and as a trainee accountant which she is greatly enjoying. 

When you call or visit our offices, Shona will be the first person to greet you on arrival. She also handles a wide range of administration work, helping to keep our office running smoothly.

Owning a 29ha block with 3ha of avocado orchard also keeps Shona very busy when she’s not at the office. From moving cows, fixing fences and water pipes to managing orchard contractors, Shona is clearly a Jill of many trades.

Aside from work and her lifestyle block, Shona and her two daughters ride and show Quarter Horses in Western Performance events competitively, enjoying the social aspect as well. Shona is also on council for the American Quarter Horse Association of NZ which she sees as an opportunity to give back to the sport and horse breed she loves so much.