| 77 nzdairy RURAL SERVICES » MBS Advisors Nigel’s career has taken the ultimate pivot Alexia Johnston From milking the family’s cow in the 1970s to guiding multi-million-dollar dairy businesses through complex financial scenarios, Nigel McWilliam’s career has taken the ultimate pivot. As director of MBS Advisors in Morrinsville, he has spent the past 20 years helping Waikato farmers navigate changing markets, manage risk, and achieve long-term financial goals. His deep connections to rural New Zealand, and his professional journey through banking, agribusiness, and accounting give him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s dairy sector. Born and raised in Tokanui in Southern Southland, Nigel’s first career pivot came at Lincoln University, where he completed diplomas in Agriculture and Farm Management, followed by a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture and Valuation. With no corporate connections, Nigel said the process was a “journey of discovery”. A successful banking career took him across New Zealand and overseas before a return to the Waikato saw him make the decision to retrain as an accountant. He was with BNZ at the time and took leave without pay, following consultation with his wife, Ange, to complete the papers that provided the stepping stones to where he is today. “We had two-year-old twin boys and another on the way at the time, so a tight budgeting time but I found my study habits had improved from my Lincoln days and completed nine accounting papers in nine months.” In 2019, after more than a decade as a director in another firm, Nigel co-founded MBS Advisors with Tony Brown and Jeremy Skedgwell, ultimately building a business advisory practice that combines technical expertise with a genuine understanding of life on the land. Over the past two decades, Nigel has witnessed the dairy industry’s significant transformation. From the “hype” of dairy conversions in the early 2000s and the formation of Fonterra, to the rise of competing processors, the sector’s rapid growth has often been affected by debt, with lenders evolving their products to meet demand. Over time, farm businesses have become larger, more technologically advanced, and are subject to a growing range of compliance requirements. To meet these changes head-on, Nigel and the MBS team have invested heavily in reporting technologies, governance expertise, and ongoing professional development, ensuring they could Directors Nigel McWilliam, Tony Brown, and Jeremy Skedgwell. Nigel McWilliam. deliver accurate, timely support for their clients. Those trends continue to shape the financial landscape for Waikato dairy farmers. While last year’s $10 payout and stronger balance sheets brought welcome relief, rising costs, increasing compliance demands, and staffing pressures remained for their clients. “We are spending a lot of time with our clients around strategy right now as we look to reset personal and business planning with a stronger balance sheet.” Nigel said MBS Advisors’ role is to provide clear, up-to-date financial reporting, ensure tax planning is proactive, and work with clients on strategies that keep their businesses resilient. However, the company’s work goes beyond the numbers. It also acts as trusted advisors through key business milestones, from succession planning and refinancing to navigating times of crisis. That trust is the foundation on which MBS Advisors is built, thanks to a highly skilled team, who each bring specialist knowledge in their field for the benefit of their valued clients and their businesses. CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS MORRINSVILLE Guiding You To Success 226B Thames Street Morrinsville 078891018 www.mbsadvisors.co.nz
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