Nick Hammond
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CO-FOUNDERNick is the CEO of Spring Sheep Milk Co., stepping into the role in 2021. Nick is a natural leader and is described as an entrepreneur and innovator by those who work with him. His strong business acumen has propelled Spring Sheep Milk Co. from a start-up to a high-growth business. Nick is qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and Lawyer, and has been recognised on the national stage for his innovation.
Thomas Macdonald
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERThomas has been part of Spring Sheep’s journey since the beginning and has a long-term vision to drive innovation for our sheep milk industry to thrive on a global scale. Thomas won the coveted Zanda McDonald Award in 2018 in recognition of his exceptional work with Spring Sheep. Thomas leads our teams across genetics, milk supply, manufacturing and market access.
Scottie Chapman
CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTORScottie’s passion is designing and enthusiastically implementing international sales strategies. Scottie spent 15 years off-shore and has extensive experience taking NZ brands to the world. He is also a Director of SLC Ventures.
James Horrocks
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERJames’ experience includes running business finance for Google’s partnerships business in Europe/Africa, and advising on capital allocation. He also has experience in investment banking, and advising on successful mergers and acquisitions. James is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA with Distinction from Oxford where he was a Saïd Foundation Scholar.
Peter Jin
GENERAL MANAGER - CHINAPeter has over 16 years in the dairy industry and has worked with a number of leading New Zealand dairy companies on the ground with their teams in China. He also has extensive experience in sales, R&D, developing major partnerships, and has a PHD in lactoferrin!
Shane Topp
CHIEF SALES OFFICERShane is our key connector and partnership maker. With over 20+ years of senior sales experience, his mission is to take our sheep milk products to the world. A master negotiator and relationship builder, Shane establishes the best deal for all parties involved and has vast experience in developing new sales channels in new markets.
Andrea Wilkins
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICERAndrea is our brilliant marketer and equally as quick-witted as she is creative, she is the driving force behind the brands. Andrea has extensive experience with large multinational FMCG companies. She has many innovation success stories under her belt, having developed and implemented several insights programmes and new product concept development projects.
Robert Buchan
GENERAL MANAGER - SUPPLY CHAINRob is a highly motivated professional with a passion for developing teams and individuals. Living in the Waikato Region has provided the platform for a 25+ year career in the dairy industry, with his experience spanning operations, logistics, quality assurance, leadership and process improvements. His respectful calm nature has built strong relationships with our business partners driving the highest standards and outcomes for the business.
Meredith Dickens
REGULATORY AFFAIRS & FOOD SAFETY MANAGERMed has over 22 years of experience working for food manufacturers covering market access, regulatory affairs, food safety & quality assurance, new product development, consumer relations and master data management. He also gained extensive overseas market access and regulatory affairs experience whilst residing in South Africa, Malaysia and New Zealand.
Natalie Macbeth
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND R&D MANAGERNat has a background in Food Science and 15+ years of working within the industry with a focus on a variety of new product development projects at well-known food manufacturers. Natalie has extensive experience in the formulation, trial and registration of new products made with sheep milk and is well-regarded in the New Zealand food and dairy science community.
Dr Isobel Willison
GENETICS AND LIVESTOCK MANAGERIzzy is a passionate sheep vet and the current breeding programme manager of Spring Sheep's very own Zealandia® dairy sheep. Having spent several years in France learning about dairy sheep, Izzy published a Master’s thesis on strategies for New Zealand to develop a large-scale dairy sheep breeding programme. This global perspective combined with knowledge of what drives genetic gain in a New Zealand farming context underpins the success of the advanced Zealandia® breeding programme.
Joseph Highet
COMMERCIAL MANAGER MILK SUPPLYJoe has built a career in the dairy industry where he has worked across large New Zealand processors in a variety of commercial roles. Through his roles, Joe has spent a lot of time with the farming community and has built a great reputation in the industry. He has also spent time within government managing the milk price review process for the Commerce Commission.
