Rod is the father of Spring. The Spring Framework open source project began in February 2003, based on the Interface21 framework published with Rod's best-selling Expert One-on-One Java EE Design and Development. Rod is one of the world's leading authorities on Java and Java EE development. He is a best-selling author, experienced consultant, and open source developer, as well as a popular conference speaker.

Rod's best-selling Expert One-on-One Java EE Design and Development (2002) was one of the most influential books ever published on Java EE. The sequel, Java EE without EJB (July 2004, with Juergen Hoeller), has proven almost equally significant, establishing a comprehensive vision for lightweight, post-EJB Java EE development.

Adrian Colyer is the leader of the AspectJ open source project and a well-known industry expert on the topic of aspect-oriented programming (AOP). He is a co-author of the book "Eclipse AspectJ : Aspect-Oriented Programming in Eclipse with AspectJ and AJDT," and has also published numerous book chapters, articles and published papers. His short essay, "AOP without the buzzwords" has been described as "the best explanation of AOP, ever." In 2004, Adrian was recognised as one of the top 100 young innovators in the world by MIT Technology Review for his contributions to the development and adoption of aspect-oriented programming in industry.

Dr. David Syer is an experienced, delivery-focused architect and development manager. He has designed and built successful enterprise software solutions using Spring, and implemented them in major financial institutions worldwide. David is known for his clear and informative training style and has deep knowledge and experience with all aspects of real-life usage of the Spring framework. He enjoys creating business value from the application of simple principles to enterprise architecture. David joined SpringSource from a leading risk management software vendor where he worked closely with SpringSource on a number of projects. Recent publications have appeared in Balance Sheet, Operational Risk and Derivatives Technology.

Sam Brannen is a Senior Software Engineer at SpringSource where he serves as a member of the core development team for the Spring Framework. He has been developing Java applications since 1996 and enterprise applications since 1999. During this time, Sam has enjoyed designing complex software architectures and implementing custom software solutions with a focus on multi-tiered, web-based, client-server applications using Java (Java EE) and the Spring Framework. Prior to joining SpringSource, Sam gained experience building applications for customers in various business sectors ranging from e-commerce to banking, retail, automotive, and social communities. Sam has a degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA, USA) and currently resides in central Europe.

Rob Harrop is a software consultant at SpringSource, where he specialises in delivering high-performance, highly scalable enterprise applications. He is an experienced architect with a particular flair for understanding and solving complex design issues. With a thorough knowledge of both Java and .NET, Rob has successfully deployed projects across both platforms. He has extensive experience across a variety of sectors, in particular retail and government. Rob is the author of five books, including Pro Spring (Apress), a widely acclaimed, comprehensive resource on the Spring Framework.