Michelle van Schalkwyk

Marketing and growth leader with over 20 years' experience driving brand, customer and revenue growth across retail and FMCG environments. Proven track record of translating business strategy into commercially impactful marketing agendas that strengthen brand equity while accelerating performance. Deep expertise in brand strategy, portfolio management, customer insights and integrated marketing execution within complex, multi-brand and franchise-led structures.

Recognised for balancing long-term brand building with short-term commercial delivery, ensuring measurable ROI and sustainable growth. Strategic, data-driven and collaborative, with a strong ability to influence executive stakeholders, align cross-functional teams and lead transformation in dynamic and evolving markets.

FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT at COGNITIVE SHIFT (PTY) LTD (2025-09 – Present)

Founded a strategic brand and marketing consultancy focused on unlocking growth through insight-led positioning and commercial brand strategy. Advising technology and start-up businesses on building clear, differentiated brand foundations to support scale and market relevance. Lead end-to-end brand strategy engagements including brand positioning, brand architecture, rebranding initiatives and integrated marketing strategy development.

Partner directly with founders and executive teams to translate business ambition into structured growth frameworks and actionable go-to-market plans. Operate as a senior strategic advisor, combining corporate marketing experience with entrepreneurial agility to guide businesses through early-stage brand definition and strategic alignment.

HEAD OF BRAND MARKETING at PICK N PAY (PTY) LTD (2015-12 – 2025-07)

Led enterprise-level brand strategy for one of South Africa's largest retail groups within a complex, multi-brand and franchise-led structure. Accountable for driving brand equity, customer growth and commercial performance in a highly competitive and evolving market environment.

• Operated within a volatile leadership and market environment, ensuring brand continuity and disciplined investment despite shifting strategic priorities.
• Partnered closely with executive leadership and presented to Exco, shaping strategic direction, brand investment decisions and customer value propositions at group level.
• Directed strategic brand planning and value proposition development to strengthen market positioning and customer consideration. Leveraged market intelligence, consumer insight and brand health tracking to inform decision-making and optimise communication effectiveness.
• Accelerated Smart Shopper loyalty programme engagement through sharper articulation of customer value, driving increased frequency, penetration and relevance.
• Established and scaled an in-house creative capability to enhance speed-to-market, improve cost efficiency and align brand communication more directly with commercial objectives.
• Oversaw marketing investment, managing agency ecosystems and influencing a national franchise network to ensure brand consistency and disciplined execution across touch points.
• Built and led a high-performing team, embedding clear accountability, operational excellence and strong talent development practices.
• Defined and governed brand identity architecture, safeguarding brand integrity while enabling strategic evolution in response to market shifts.

CONSUMER PLANNING PORTFOLIO MANAGER at BRANDHOUSE BEVERAGES (PTY) LTD (2014-06 – 2015-11)

Owned and championed the consumer agenda across a multi-brand premium beverages portfolio, embedding insight-led decision-making at the core of commercial and marketing strategy.

• Partnered with senior leadership to influence portfolio direction, ensuring brand strategies, innovation pipelines and investment decisions were grounded in robust consumer understanding and aligned to market opportunity.
• Transformed consumer insights from data outputs into strategic growth levers, enabling brand teams to identify high-value occasions, need states and penetration opportunities across categories.
• Built organisational capability in consumer planning, equipping marketing teams to translate insight into actionable strategy and measurable brand impact.
• Collaborated with the global Diageo Planning Community to implement best-in-class planning frameworks and elevate local strategic standards to global benchmarks.
• Held joint P&L accountability for a multi-brand beverages portfolio within a listed FMCG environment, driving sustainable revenue growth, margin optimisation and portfolio profitability.
• Led bottom-up strategic planning, authoring 5-year category strategies aligned to corporate objectives and presenting integrated growth plans to executive leadership for approval. Positioned marketing as a commercial growth driver through financially grounded business cases and cross-functional alignment.
• Partnered with Sales, Finance and Operations to design multifunctional growth initiatives, ensuring innovation pipelines, product mix decisions and go-to-market plans were operationally feasible and commercially viable.
• Directed annual portfolio planning and innovation strategy, delivering successful product launches and rationalisation initiatives that strengthened competitiveness and improved margin performance.
• Managed marketing investment with disciplined ROI focus, leveraging sales and market analytics to identify volume growth opportunities and optimise portfolio contribution.
• Built and led a high-performing team, embedding accountability, performance management and structured capability development.

SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER & PORTFOLIO LEAD – BEVERAGES at PIONEER FOODS (PTY) LTD (2008-07 – 2014-05)

Held joint P&L accountability for a multi-brand beverages portfolio within a listed FMCG environment, driving sustainable revenue growth, margin optimisation and portfolio profitability.

• Led bottom-up strategic planning, authoring 5-year category strategies aligned to corporate objectives and presenting integrated growth plans to executive leadership for approval. Positioned marketing as a commercial growth driver through financially grounded business cases and cross-functional alignment.
• Partnered with Sales, Finance and Operations to design multifunctional growth initiatives, ensuring innovation pipelines, product mix decisions and go-to-market plans were operationally feasible and commercially viable.
• Directed annual portfolio planning and innovation strategy, delivering successful product launches and rationalisation initiatives that strengthened competitiveness and improved margin performance.
• Managed marketing investment with disciplined ROI focus, leveraging sales and market analytics to identify volume growth opportunities and optimise portfolio contribution.
• Built and led a high-performing team, embedding accountability, performance management and structured capability development.

Marketing Manager at Cadiz Financial Strategy Group (2007-10 – 2008-06)

Brand Manager at Distell (Pty) Ltd (2004-11 – 2007-09)

Direct Marketing Specialist at ForwardSlash (2004-03 – 2004-10)

Marketing Manager at Ongame e-Solutions (2002-10 – 2003-12)

Account Executive at Berry Bush BBDO (2001-09 – 2002-03)

Account Executive at Bates 141 (2000-06 – 2001-08)

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – Gordon Institute of Business Science - University of Pretoria (2023 – 2024)

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – Graduate School of Business - University of Cape Town (2010 – 2010)

POST GRADUATE ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN ADVERTISING AND MARKETING – Red and Yellow Creative School of Business (1999 – 1999)

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCE in Human Sciences – University of Cape Town (1996 – 1998)