Neil Govender

Neil Govender has extensive experience in the field of insights and analytics, with a focus on strategy development and execution. Neil has worked with various well-known companies, including Distell, Pioneer Foods, BAT, Nestlé, JTI, Tiger Brands, and Standard Bank Group. In their most recent role at Distell, they led a consumer-centric insights approach to strategy and marketing and drove the development of advanced analytics capabilities. Prior to that, they served as an independent consultant at Pioneer Foods, where they supported the development of insights and market execution teams and focused on strategy development and execution plans. At BAT, they held the positions of Senior Portfolio Manager for Premium Brands and Head of Strategic Marketing Insights, where they contributed to the growth and development of the premium brands portfolio and led the successful introduction of Next Generation Products. Neil also played a key role as Head of Consumer, Shopper, and Marketplace Insights at Nestlé, where they built a formidable insights team and drove insight generation and activation across multiple categories. Earlier in their career, they held positions at JTI as Senior Manager for Market Insights Africa, Tiger Brands as Market Intelligence Manager, and Standard Bank Group as Market Research and Insights Manager.

Neil Govender has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science). Neil also has a Postgraduate (Honours) Marketing degree from IMM Graduate School. Neil'sBachelor of Commerce degree (BCom) was obtained from the University of South Africa/Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. Additionally, they matriculated with Distinction from Chatsworth Secondary School. Neil Govender has also completed the Advanced Marketing & Sales Program from the Nestle Executive Program in Switzerland.