Retail

Ailsa Wingfield is Executive Director: Intelligence for Nielsen Global Markets. She helps companies capture today and tomorrow's prospects by identifying and exploring demand generating trends through strategic foresight, knowledge and thought leadership creation. With a passion for Africa and Middle East, she established the Africa Prospects Indicator which determines overall country prospects and the sources of potential, across economic, business, consumer and retail metrics.

Alain Dos Santos is the Regional Managing Director for Montblanc Africa. Based in the luxury Maison's regional office in Johannesburg, Dos Santos is responsible for expanding Montblanc's presence & operations in key markets across the continent. His role follows 5 years as Montblanc's MD for Brazil, during which he oversaw milestones including the transfer of Montblanc from its historical family external distributor to fully integrated subsidiary within the Richemont Group, & the first Richemont Maison in Brazil to launch its e-commerce offering..

Generating revenue from Entertainment Brands. Representing Global Entertainment companies/studios like Warner Bros and Turner Cartoon Network.

Having started his first business venture as a varsity student, Andrew Weinberg is now a seasoned entrepreneur whose customer engagement and incentives solutions business, Retail Engage, is changing the game for the South African second-tier retail base. The Entrepreneur of the Year competition (sponsored by Sanlam and Business/Partners) named Andrew Weinberg as this year's overall competition winner..

Camper by day, run-and-gunner by night, Andy is editor at Memeburn and prefers his toast like his coffee -- dark and crunchy. Specialising in spotting the next big Instagram cat star, Andy also dabbles in smartphone and game reviews over on Gearburn..

Press Office Manager/Writer at Bizcommunity.

Part-Time Faculty & Business Consultant for Innovation & Design Thinking at USB-ED.

Brand Builder at Thinkerneur.

Brendan Seery has been in the news business for most of his life, covering coups, wars, famines - and some funny stories - across Africa. Brendan Seery's Orchids and Onions column ran each week in the Saturday Star in Johannesburg and the Weekend Argus in Cape Town.

Brent Haumann is the Managing Director at Striata, Africa where he leads the African business providing strategy, direction and market-positioning for the region..

Brett Rogers, culture lead at Cape Town advertising agency HaveYouHeard and content curator for In_, a channel of content, which showcases cultural forces that are changing the world. It aims to inform, inspire and entertain the viewer and does so with multimedia posts, including podcasts, videos, google trends, mini Q+A's and more.

In her role as MediaCom South Africa MD, Britta Reid has been responsible for the operations of the agency including executive oversight on buying..

Candice Goodman is the DMA's Direct Marketer of the Year 2016. She has headed up Education at the Mobile Marketing Association of South Africa for the past five years, and was on the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA of SA) Advisory Board as Chairman, was the first Certified MMA Mobile Marketer in South Africa and is on the Education Committee of the IAB..

Carmen Murray is the founder of Boo-yah! and has become a household name among marketing professionals as a result of her inspirational "masterclasses". These sessions have reached thousands of marketers across SA.

Catherine is the Creative Director at HKLM. She specialises in branding and design development and she believes that there is a strategic design solution to every challenge.

Cecil Ungerer is the Chief Sales Officer at in-store advertising innovators Smart Media..

Christele Chokossa joined Euromonitor as a research associate in July 2016. She is currently a senior analyst and focuses on researching industries such as Travel & Tourism, Retailing, Consumer Foodservice, Digital Consumers and Consumer Finance in sub-Saharan Africa.

With almost 20 years of experience in media, Mediamark Group Sales Director Cindy Diamond leads top sales teams tasked to craft multichannel advertising solutions for brands. Cindy is one of the founders of Mediamark and has been instrumental in its transformation from a radio sales house to a media results company drawing on the benefits of radio, digital, tv, content and events, including activations..

Craig Naicker is head of Client Services at CWDi. For more information or to connect with CWDi, please click here..

Damon is regional chief creative officer for DDB in New Zealand and Australia. Before that, ECD at Saatchi and Saatchi Australia, before that, group ECD of TBWA Hunt Lascaris and global ECD of Standard Bank.

Danette Breitenbach was the editor and publisher of Advantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. Before her editorship, she was deputy-editor as well as freelancing for over a year on the publication before that.

Daniella Shapiro is Founder and CEO of DaniellaShapiro.com, a consulting company on the front lines of marketing, social media and branding strategies. Daniella recently launched the Oolala Collection Club, an e-commerce proudly South African, unisex, cutting-edge skincare and lifestyle brand.

David Jenkins is the founding partner at Mickey Llew. He has worked with well-known brands and companies across several industries including financial services, FMCG and retail, mining, IT and more where organic and paid media strategies are crafted, created, launched and managed. In his role he is responsible for managing and driving Mickey Llew's client strategy with internal and external stakeholders..

Trend strategist, Dion Chang, is the founder of research trend specialists, Flux Trends. He is an innovator, creative thinker and walking ideas bank.

Doug Place is the Chief Marketing Officer of Nando's IMEA. He is responsible for leading a team that implements the marketing strategies for Nando's restaurants in more than 13 countries across Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan.

Dov Girnun is the CEO at Merchant Capital..

Eben has over 20 years retail, pharma & FMCG experience in South Africa. He understands consumer & shopper behaviour patterns, and is an expert in CE.

Emma Longden started Sitting Pretty in 2009. As she became more aware of the horrors of the clothing industry, she rebranded in 2013 to align her ranges with her own values - ethical clothing produced in a manner that is kind to the environment and the people who make the garments.

Editor: Marketing & Media; Head of Content for Entrepreneurship.

Francois van Dyk, heads up Operations at Ornico, the Brand Intelligence research company. He is part of the management team that has seen Ornico expand across Africa, currently with data resources in 14 countries and employing more than 100 media enthusiasts.

Gareth Pearson, CEO and shareholder of BMi Research (www.bmi.co.za), is a market research specialist with particular focus in the industrial and FMCG markets in various sectors, including the retail market. He serves as a member of the South African Institute of Packaging's Regional Committee and is involved with the South African Packaging Council.

Gillian's CV is a mix of marketing, strategy, advertising, and leadership. She obtained a Business Science (Honours) degree in Marketing from UCT, worked in marketing strategy consulting, then headed into the creative world, doing account management and strategy for below and above the line agencies, before becoming co-founder and managing director of Hercules/DMB&B, and then group managing director of Lowe Bull....

Experienced digital and marketing professional, with an interest in ecommerce, product development and customer experience. Started in the martch environment before moving into the retail environment at Zando, rising quickly into the management space first as the head of mobile and then heading up the groups marketing initiatives.

Grant Lapping is Managing Director at DataCore Media, which helps organisations to drive better results from their digital marketing investments by unlocking the full potential of campaign performance data. DataCore Media services include digital media strategy, buying and planning across all digital, social media and mobile platforms as well as the implementation and management of the technology organisations need to effectively track and optimise their campaigns..

My twitter bio uses buzz words such as ass kicker, tech geek, and Internet ninja. But when you get down to it- I'm a marketer, a blogger, a social media enthusiast and budding growth hacker..

Howard Feldman is one of SA's leading entrepreneurs and Head of Marketing & People at Synthesis. His experience is global and extensive, spanning more than 20 years of working as a businessman, philanthropist and social commentator.

Hugh Tyrrell designs science-based communication campaigns that influence behaviour for environmental good. These combine social psychology, communications, media and marketing with environmental sustainability.

Driving solutions from Strategy to Results. High Performance Quality Projects Striving for Excellence.

James Tagg is co-founder and co-director of Quicket where he initially worked on the development of the platform and later shifted focus into operations as MD. With a background in web development, he is drawn towards automation and extracting efficiency from day to day operations in and out of the work environment..

Jason Stewart is the co-founder and MD of HaveYouHeard (www.haveyouheard.co.za), a communications agency immersed in culture to influence it. With 11 years' trading experience and offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London, HaveYouHeard uncovers unique insights to create innovative ideas that influence the audience by bringing the brands it partners with to the centre of culture..

JanDirk (JD) Engelbrecht is a commercial technologist who is passionate about finding creative solutions to problems. His experience in digital product development and commercialisation has allowed him to work with various South African market leaders in media, ecommerce, advertising, data science, and agriculture..

Jess is Senior Editor: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com. She is also a contributing writer.

JG Bezuidenhout, Digital Marketing Aficionado and COO of Bastion & Flowe (https://www.bastionflowe.com), a digital advertising technology company focused on delivering measurable results..

Juanita is the editor of the marketing & media portal on the Bizcommunity website. She is also a contributing writer..

Senior media planner at Meta Media..

Kirsten Dewar is the Managing Director at Platinum Seed..

Lara is a brand specialist who has been in the advertising industry for 10+ years. Her key areas of interest are consumer behaviour & psychology and impact thereof on creating brand positioning and strategies that solve business challenges and truly resonate with consumers..

Retail editor and lifestyle contributor at Bizcommunity.com. Cape Town apologist.

Lee Naik is the CEO of TransUnion Africa..

Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews..

Leo Van De Polder is the Global Development Director at Shop! Association..

Leonie Stanley is a customer service executive at Telviva..

Louise Burgers (previously Marsland) is Founder/Content Director: SOURCE Content Marketing Agency. Louise is a Writer, Publisher, Editor, Content Strategist, Content/Media Trainer.

Louise Robinson is Sales Director at CG Consulting and Database360.

Marian Salzman-known as one of the world's top five trendspotters - has a communications career that has spanned more than three decades, across multiple industries and the globe. She now heads up comms - , owned and paid - at Philip Morris International (PMI) as it embarks on its transformation to a smoke-free landscape....

Enthusiastic UCT graduate with a passion for fashion, film and words..

Marylee Townshend is currently the Learning and Development Director at IRI. Marylee has a strong track record with over 24 years of experience in both marketing research and education.

Melissa Baird is a multi-faceted communications strategist, workshop facilitator, public speaker and talented wordsmith whose career has spanned traditional advertising, interactive television, digital marketing and book and magazine publishing. Currently Baird is an independent sustainability communications strategist, writer and editor after a five-year tenure heading up strategy at Ogilvyearth..

Mia Morkel is the Managing Director of Retail Rewards at wiGroup, a South African provider of global mobile transacting solutions. Mia works with some of the world's leading retail and hospitality brands to develop technology solutions that enable richer brand experiences through mobile loyalty, rewards, and other value-added services..

Michael Lebona joined Pernod Ricard South Africa in 2017 as General Manager for the Inland Region, including Lesotho and Swaziland, following a long-standing commercial career in the food and beverage industry. Lebona leads a team of approximately 65 people from Sales, Merchandising and Special Events with a focus on achieving strong performance for both Pernod Ricard and its customers.

I play a dual role at The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town where I drive the existing and new business for the agency, as well as develop brand and communications strategies for our clients such as Burger King SA, Lewis Group, Sasko Bread and Flour, Virgin Group, and KWV Wines..

Michelle Marais is an experienced marketer with R-Squared Digital. She has over twenty years' experience in the marketing and advertising sectors, having made the shift from traditional to digital marketing.

Based in Miami, Miguel's focus is on managing client relationships and advising clients on their digital technology requirements and multi-channel marketing strategies to drive business performance. Additionally, Miguel oversees our partner relations with companies such as Salesforce, Google, Adobe and Selligent.

I have been involved in marketing research for over 40 years, across all spheres. I started Marketing Science in 1992, Infosense (aka Infotools) in 1995 and Panel Services Africa in 2005.

With a career in data analytics, CRM marketing and customer growth and retention that spans nearly two decades and two continents and multiple industries, Natalie is at the forefront of commercially driven customer strategy and marketing through the intelligent use of data. She is highly skilled at using relevant insights to engage with customers, across multiple channels..

Paul Cook is co-founder and Managing Director of Silvertree Holdings, which builds, invests into and operates disruptive consumer brands, including UCOOK, Faithful to Nature, PriceCheck, Pet Heaven and many more. Paul holds a PhD in theoretical physics from the California Institute of Technology. Before 2013, he worked as a consultant in McKinsey & Company's Johannesburg and London offices, focused on growth strategy in Africa and the strategic implications of global trends..

Paul McIntyre is a CX Executive at Elingo..

Percy Shangase is the 1st Black person to win the Prestigious Alan Paton Literary Award. He runs a Marketing and Research Consultancy, despite living with a disability - below knee amputation, however he drives and flies wherever is necessary.

Pieter Geyser is the Head of Digital PR & Marketing at Irvine Partners. He has more than a decade of experience as a digital marketing specialist.

Rachel Thompson is the Insights Director at GfK South Africa. She has 16 years of experience in market research, working first for Research International and then moving to GfK South Africa in 2009.

Freelance writer for any business or service which reveres gracious grammar, interesting ideas, and superb spelling. A wealth of experience in conceptualising and writing high-impact advertising campaigns across all media, original and effective social media content, and everything in between..

Raymond Smit is head of Paid Search at Reprise Digital South Africa..

I'm a creature of habit and I'm a bit of a perfectionist - but it's ok - my clients like that about me !.

Area Vice President, Salesforce - Emerging Markets.

Ron Cregan is the founder at Endangered Species, a membership organisation working across multiple categories under threat from overzealous regulators and policymakers in design and packaging..

Executive Head at Striata Marketing Solutions.

Sarah is the CEO of MullenLowe South Africa. What she has learned about both knowledge and approach has put her in good stead when taking the MullenLowe challenger attitude into the market.

Sarah is passionate about the organisational structure of the growing team at WE in Johannesburg and maintaining an open, integrated culture that is geared for long-term success..

Sean Sullivan is an Associate Media Consultant at The MediaShop..

Semona Pillay is a lecturer and the Programme Coordinator for the Diploma Retail Business Management at the Department of Marketing Management at University of Johannesburg. She lectures Marketing Communications on the Bunting Road campus and Integrated Marketing Communications on the Kingsway campus.

Shereesa is a passionate writer who often delves into the world of social media, online trends and all things photography. She is also a journalism graduate of Rhodes University and can be found frequenting YouTube and Instagram.

After 18 years in media and marketing, Taryn Gill began her natural haircare venture The Perfect Hair in 2015, expanding the product line into salons, Edgars and Clicks. Today she works with beauty distributor Sunpac to further grow and scale several haircare brands into retail channels across Southern Africa..

Adding more zeros and heroes to brand value. Brand Turn Around and Brand Positioning specialists.

In 2013, Thomas co-founded the Just Perfect digital agency, which provides integrated services to corporates. This gave rise to him, in conjunction with Mitchan Adams and Lyle Eckstein, forming i-Pay (now known as Ozow) at the end of 2014 to reinvent the digital economy market in Africa.

Tyrone Van Heerden (@tyronevh) is a South African strategist at the Iris Worldwide Munich office, and is responsible for steering the quality of the strategy product across B2B and B2C client partners. Encouraging brave work, Van Heerden has been responsible for creative, commercial and transformational strategies for brands such as Allianz, Samsung, BSH, Ab InBev and Harley-Davidson.

South African innovator, data scientist and CEO of Canadian machine learning company: Xineoh..

Viresh Hargovan is the CEO at Immersion Group. The Immersion Group is a human-centred design practice committed to creating human experiences that change lives and build value.

With solid experience in the industry, Wayne Flemming is a business visionary and IMC content creator who describes himself as a "marketing fanatic". His bold thinking is supported by his strong strategy and leadership skills, and he is also a storyteller at heart.

Wynand Smit is CEO at INOVO, a leading contact centre business solutions provider..

Born in Ghana, Yaw Dwomoh is the Managing Director of Idea Hive, a specialist Brand Storytelling company based in Johannesburg that enables medium-to-large brands to craft their brand stories in a way that is authentic, connecting with customers in a way that captures their hearts and their purchasing power..

Zama Mlanjana is a marketer specialising in e-commerce and omni-channel, with close to 7 years of industry experience. Her focus is on customer experience, studying trends and working with developers to improve UX and help grow retail business revenue through profitable e-retailing strategies..