Career

He is a Laureate of the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. He became President of The New Zealand Sharemilkers Association in 1967, President of Waikato Federated Farmers in 1972 and a director of New Zealand Dairy Group in 1973 at the age of 33. In 1973 he was chosen as New Zealands Outstanding Young Manitoba Of The Year by New Zealand Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Spring was Chairman of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group National Bank from April 2007 to June 2012, having formerly served as a director of the National Bank of New Zealand Limited.

Spring was awarded a Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by Massey University in 2000

Spring formerly held a number of directorships including Nufarm Limited., Maersk New Zealand Limited., Affco Limited., Fletcher Building Limited., Sky City Entertainment Group Limited., Portuguese of Tauranga Limited. Northport Limited., Deputy Chairman of Goodman Fielder Limited., Chairman of Ericcson New Zealand Limited.

Chairman Of Tenon Limited., Deputy Chairman Of Ports Of Auckland Limited., Deputy Chairman of The Rural Banking and Finance Corporation of New Zealand. He is descended from the Spring family of Ballyraemeen, Kerry, Ireland.

He was appointed a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in 1911.

He was inducted as a Laureate of the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2013. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Waikato University in 2014.

Achievements

• In 2003 he was awarded the Holden Lifetime Achievement Award for service to the Dairy Industry. Spring was awarded a New Zealand Commemoration Medal in 1990. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1994 Queen"s Birthday Honours, for services to the dairy industry.

Membership

He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, a Life Member of Waikato Federated Farmers and a Distinguished Fellow of Massey University Academy of Agriculture. He was formerly a member of The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Eminent Persons Group, which in 1993 drafted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Vision of Free and Open Trade in the Asia Pacific, a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council, Chairman of Asia New Zealand Foundation, and also a founding trustee of the New Zealand Business and Parliamentary Trust.