Charmaine O’Shea (FCA)

Inside the farm gate, plain speaking rules. “When the boots come off and you are sitting at their kitchen table, farmers want the unvarnished truth.” My job is to analyse their past performance and future opportunities, and be an effective, independent sounding board. Having an in-depth, hands-on knowledge of the industry gives me a great advantage.”

Over the years, Charmaine’s evident passion for dairying and her rich learning has put her on the receiving end of many awards, including:

• A fellowship awarded by the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2012 in recognition of her work in the rural sector
• 2013 Northland Supreme winner of the Ballance Farm Environment Award
• 2014 New Zealand Dairy Woman of the Year
• As well as many other accolades including Northland Sharemilker of the Year and recipient of the AC Cameron Award

“I guess my passion for moving the industry forward in terms of financial, environmental and social sustainability, plus getting women recognised as a key part of that process, might have had something to do with it.”

Charmaine sat on the Board of the Agri Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) for 5 years, 4 of these as Chair (2013 – 2018) and was also part of the working group that developed the DairyBase database.

“In this business, there is no substitute for experience and the rural accounting work I do is an awesome way for me to share my Chartered Accounting knowledge and perspectives with passionate farming people, without having to put on gumboots seven days a week.”