BDO builds Perth partnership with three new members
Professional services firm BDO has added further former Big Four partners to its team in Perth.
Jennifer Delany Vaessen has joined BDO’s CFO advisory practice after more than a decade and a half at Deloitte, alongside indirect tax partnership colleague Chris Jenkins and former EY director and R&D & government incentives specialist Mark Thompson.
BDO’s partnership has swollen considerably over the past few years, with a clear strategy of targeting the Big Four and a stated intention of building up its advisory capabilities in Western Australia.
“Over the past year our Perth advisory team has grown deliberately, welcoming seasoned specialists who bring new expertise,” said BDO’s global natural resources & energy leader Sherif Andrawes. “What’s most exciting is the impact for WA organisations, with access to senior advisers, breadth of capability, and the independence to deliver practical and highly responsive outcomes.”
Jennifer Delany Vaessen first joined Deloitte in Canada in 2009 after almost seven years at KPMG between Australia and the Netherlands, and has since returning in 2012 served as national government advisory leader as well as head of finance assurance out of Melbourne for the past five years. She now joins BDO in Perth to lead the launch of its local CFO advisory practice.
“With over 20 years’ of providing audit, advisory and accounting services, Jen combines deep technical experience with practical transformation leadership to help private and public sector organisations navigate complex accounting requirements, and is widely recognised for her exceptional leadership, client service, and commitment to uplifting others,” BDO stated.
Returning to BDO after a previous stint with the firm in Malaysia, Chris Jenkins likewise joins from Deloitte, where he has led its indirect tax practice in Perth for the past seven and a half years, prior to which he was also a partner at Grant Thornton. An expert on GST, Jenkins has also spent time at all of EY, PwC and PKF across a thirty-year career dating back to Arthur Andersen in the UK.
As per BDO, “Chris is known for his ability to simplify complex tax matters and deliver practical, client-focused solutions. He brings deep sector knowledge across real estate, construction, mining, energy, government, and not-for-profit organisations, and his collaborative approach and commitment to excellence will be a great asset to our clients and our team.”
Mark Thompson meanwhile crosses to BDO’s R&D and government incentives team from EY, where he has spent the best part of two decades moving between Singapore, Wellington and Perth after joining the latter office in 2007 off the back of a business and computer science double from Edith Cowan, such that he also brings deep knowledge of R&D software.
BDO said, “Mark combines technical rigour with a pragmatic, audit‑ready approach and extensive experience to work through complex government incentive requirements and maximise outcomes for clients across multiple sectors including technology, media & telecommunications, energy & natural resources, manufacturing, life sciences, food & agribusiness, and financial services.”
Meanwhile, Vaessen and Jenkins reunite with former Deloitte partnership colleague Andrew Hillbeck, who rejoined BDO as a risk advisory partner in Perth in the middle of last year and has now been appointed to its national board. Two other members of the eight-person board, Steve May and Stefanie Bradley, respectively joined BDO from KPMG in 2021 and last year.
