WHO IS NEAL CAVALIER-SMITH?

BIOGRAPHY

 

Neal Cavalier-Smith (Born 1966) is a Human-Rights Activist turned Brand Strategist, working for global agencies and helping small businesses with his one-on-one CONFIDENTITY offer.

 

Key skills:

• Brand Positioning and Innovation

• Workshop design and facilitation

• Communication and copywriting

Over decades as a Strategist Neal has worked all around the world visiting more than 80 countries, consulting for the world's top nutrition & FMCG companies, including:

Nestle, DSM, Danone Nutricia, Raisio, Unilever, Coca-Cola (Powerade), Cadbury, GSK, Bayer, Tetra Pak, Cereal Partners CPW, PepsiCo, Friesland Campina, Emmi, Arla, Tate & Lyle, Chiquita, Heineken, KFC, Muller, Syngenta, Dulux AkzoNobel, Mondelez, Premier Foods.

Neal is much in demand as a conference chair and speaker, including:

• Chair: World Food Technology and Ingredients Forum, Rotterdam
• Chair: Agra Innovations in Value Added Dairy
• Chair: Dairy Futures conference, Budapest
• Speaker: Food Tech & Ingredient Congresses in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, India, UK & Vietnam
• Speaker: Functional Drinks Forums, London, Geneva
• Judge: International Beverage Innovation Awards & World Dairy Awards
 

BIG BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

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During decades building the household brands you buy every day, Neal helped transform companies from the largest multinationals to the smallest one-woman-startups. 

 

He says: "I profoundly believe in the power of knowing exactly what you stand for." Add relentless practicality, incisive intelligence, and a playful wit, to get you there as painlessly as possible.

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SMALL BUSINESS NOUSE

 

From setting up successful small businesses Neal grew a deep understanding of how they make money, and as a Managing Director for most of his career he's know the challenge of keeping focus, and thriving through adversity.

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FEARLESS & INSPIRING

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As a teenage computer whizz-kid in the 80s Neal wrote games and how-to books. While still at University he set up a publishing and retail company which grew to turn over £millions.

 

Against a background of illegality and discrimination, in the 1980s he co-founded  the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation which thrives to this day. In the 1990s Neal became a Director of Stonewall, gaining equality in the UK, allowing him to marry his husband, of over 30 years.

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Neal chairs an education charity, and still freelances for big agencies, but is at his happiest up above the clouds piloting his airplane all over Europe:

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"Like in business - flying takes a lot of planning, and masses of effort to get off the ground... but it's all worth it once you're up there."

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