Thomas Macdonald

As the CEO of Spring Sheep Milk Company, Waikato graduate Thomas Macdonald leads one of New Zealand’s most innovative agribusiness firms.

Having grown up on a dairy farm in Gordonton, Thomas has always been passionate about farming, and he recognises the growing need for people with agribusiness training and experience.

“The agriculture industry in New Zealand is huge and Waikato is at the heart of it,” he says. “Many of the leading agribusinesses have their headquarters here, so the opportunities are endless, both on and off the farm."

Thomas chose to study Agribusiness at Waikato because he wanted to understand the business side of farming – not just the science.

“Farms today are large, complex businesses," he says. "To be able to give good advice on farm management, you need to understand agriculture, but also have strong financial skills."

Thomas completed a Bachelor of Business Analysis in Finance and Agribusiness (now a Bachelor of Business), followed by a Master of Management Studies in Agribusiness (now a Master of Business).

His masters dissertation – supported by a $17,000 National Fieldays Sir Don Llewellyn Scholarship - researched the rising costs of environmental compliance in the dairy industry due to new government regulations.

“People might be surprised to learn how much dairy farmers invest to protect the environment,”  he says. “The costs are usually between $100,000 and $200,000, but several farmers I interviewed during my masters have paid well over $500,000.”

Thomas credits his lecturers at Waikato with helping to launch his career. “Their extensive industry connections provided me with a lot of good networking opportunities.”

After graduating, he joined Landcorp Farming as a business analyst, and was soon promoted to business manager (dairy), with responsibility for financial, operational and project management.

In 2017, Thomas took up a new role as General Manager - Milk Supply for Spring Sheep Milk Company, the country’s only New Zealand-owned exporter of sheep milk; which has unique nutritional properties and a smaller environmental footprint than cow’s milk.

Thomas has played a central role in the company’s success - from developing the Zealandia® dairy sheep breed, to expanding global supply chains and building an international market presence.

In November 2025, he stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer, and is excited about taking the business into its next decade of growth.

“Spring Sheep has built a strong foundation in genetics, farming, manufacturing and brand,” says Thomas. “The opportunity now is to take New Zealand sheep milk to even more consumers around the world."