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Our Leadership Team
Each FBW Associate leads their field of expertise and heads a dedicated discipline team, supported by a value chain of professionals within the FBW ecosystem.
All operate under the FBW Constitution and Professional Code of Conduct. Together, they form a multi-disciplinary network that brings depth, credibility, and practical experience to every client engagement ensuring direct access to the right expert, backed by a wider team, to meet your business needs.
Neil Smith
Discipline Head of Brand Strategy
Founder & Chairperson
Neil Smith began designing brands to fund his Visual Communication studies at CPUT, where he was named Student of the Year and won three national design awards. He later founded Probe Magazine and, after completing advanced studies in Strategic Brand Management, launched SmithGroup, serving parastatals, corporates, and NGOs. Today, he leads NSBrandExperience and founded First Business Wellness (FBW) to support SMMEs. A former Chair of Design South Africa and advisor to CPUT and Stellenbosch University. Neil currently serves on the Drakenstein Business Chamber Advisory Committee. Neil has earned international recognition for Excellence in Brand Strategy and NGO Marketing, and remains dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs with the professional support he lacked at 24.
Email:neil@businesswellness.co.za
Founder & Chairperson
Neil Smith began designing brands to fund his Visual Communication studies at CPUT, where he was named Student of the Year and won three national design awards. He later founded Probe Magazine and, after completing advanced studies in Strategic Brand Management, launched SmithGroup, serving parastatals, corporates, and NGOs. Today, he leads NSBrandExperience and founded First Business Wellness (FBW) to support SMMEs. A former Chair of Design South Africa and advisor to CPUT and Stellenbosch University. Neil currently serves on the Drakenstein Business Chamber Advisory Committee. Neil has earned international recognition for Excellence in Brand Strategy and NGO Marketing, and remains dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs with the professional support he lacked at 24.
Email:neil@businesswellness.co.za
Prof Duvenage
Pieter Duvenage is a South African philosopher, academic, and public thinker known for bridging classical ideas with modern societal challenges. He has studied and lectured at leading universities in South Africa and Germany and currently serves as an extraordinary professor of philosophy at North-West University. His work explores the connection between ethics, public life, responsible debate, and understanding in a fast-changing technological era. Pieter is widely published and frequently appears in national media as a commentator on the relationship between thought, politics, and society. His most comprehensive work, Moving Thought, reflects years of study on what it means to think and act wisely in turbulent times. Pieter currently serves on the Drakenstein Business Chamber Advisory Committee.
Email: pieter@businesswellness.co.za
Email: pieter@businesswellness.co.za
Shawn Coetzee
Discipline Head of People & Culture
Shawn Coetzee is the Managing Director of SC Management and Advisory Solutions (Pty) Ltd and former CEO of SAPO Trust, serving the South African fruit industry globally.
With over 20 years of executive leadership, he is a turnaround specialist, strategic thinker, and leadership development expert. He holds an MBA from Stellenbosch University and chairs its Business School Alumni Association (Western Cape). A Licensee of LMI and advocate of values-based, servant leadership, he mentors leaders across all levels. Shawn is a former OECD Chair, UNECE delegate, and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of Legal Aid South Africa and member of IoDSA and IRMSA.
Email:shawn@businesswellness.co.za
Shawn Coetzee is the Managing Director of SC Management and Advisory Solutions (Pty) Ltd and former CEO of SAPO Trust, serving the South African fruit industry globally.
With over 20 years of executive leadership, he is a turnaround specialist, strategic thinker, and leadership development expert. He holds an MBA from Stellenbosch University and chairs its Business School Alumni Association (Western Cape). A Licensee of LMI and advocate of values-based, servant leadership, he mentors leaders across all levels. Shawn is a former OECD Chair, UNECE delegate, and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of Legal Aid South Africa and member of IoDSA and IRMSA.
Email:shawn@businesswellness.co.za
Jarrod Lyons
Discipline Head of Business Development Master of Science (MSc), Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology at UCT. National Diploma ND, Oceanography, Chemical and Physical at CPUT. Jarrod Lyons is an experienced advisor in sustainable infrastructure and green economy investment, with over 15 years in both public and private sectors. As former Executive: Business Development at the Atlantis Special Economic Zone, he led investor attraction, project structuring, and development of South Africa’s leading Greentech hub. His expertise includes renewable energy, circular economy, SEZ optimisation, and policy navigation. With a background in biotechnology and environmental science, Jarrod blends technical insight with commercial strategy to help clients unlock investment, navigate regulation, and build resilient partnerships across Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
Email:jarrod@businesswellness.co.za
Email:jarrod@businesswellness.co.za
Kyle O'Neill
Discipline Head of ICT
Kyle O’Neill (BA, Psychology) brings over a decade of experience in IT and technology, specialising in business IT services and strategic support. He focuses on enabling SMMEs in South Africa and across Africa, where reliable IT solutions drive long-term growth and innovation. As a hands-on professional, Kyle and his team deliver tailored IT management and support that streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and align with business goals. Their approach positions IT as a core enabler, not just a function. Passionate about empowering businesses of all sizes, Kyle is committed to collaborating, solving challenges, and driving innovation in the B2B space.
Email:kyle@businesswellness.co.za
Kyle O’Neill (BA, Psychology) brings over a decade of experience in IT and technology, specialising in business IT services and strategic support. He focuses on enabling SMMEs in South Africa and across Africa, where reliable IT solutions drive long-term growth and innovation. As a hands-on professional, Kyle and his team deliver tailored IT management and support that streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and align with business goals. Their approach positions IT as a core enabler, not just a function. Passionate about empowering businesses of all sizes, Kyle is committed to collaborating, solving challenges, and driving innovation in the B2B space.
Email:kyle@businesswellness.co.za
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