Jen Mildenhall

 

Jen Mildenhall was appointed a Director of BDO Gisborne on 1 January 2025.

As an agribusiness accountant who was born and raised in Wairoa on a sheep & beef farm and having farmed until recently, Jen brings a shared understanding of the challenges her clients face every day. She understands the sleepless nights during calving season, the stress of volatile commodity prices, and the constant juggle between operational demands and business planning.

Jen’s lived farm experiences, combined with her passion for numbers and strategic thinking, naturally led her toward agribusiness advisory. After graduating in the top 5% from Massey University with her Bachelor of Accountancy and receiving the Massey Scholar Award, she went on to become a Chartered Accountant and was honoured with the prestigious Ted Delahunty Leadership Award in 2020.

Jen enjoys a proactive approach to client relationships, bringing forward-thinking solutions that create real efficiency gains. Her philosophy is simple: farming businesses should work for the family, not the other way around.

When Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the region, Jen stepped up as a coordinator for recovery efforts, working alongside farmers to rebuild not just properties but entire business strategies. This experience reinforced her belief that the strongest farming operations are those that plan for both opportunities and challenges.

Areas of expertise include: 

• Strategic business planning and diversification
• Budgeting & forecasting for seasonal operations
• Technology implementation that actually saves time
• Management reporting that drives decisions
• Succession planning for farming families

Qualifications

Bachelor of Accountancy - Massey University, Palmerston North
Certificate of Public Practice - Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand
 

Professional Affiliations

Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand 
 

Community Involvement

Executive Committee Member of Farming Women Tairāwhiti
Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Coordinator