Nicki Russell - Passionate about Product Innovation

Commander
DISC Type : D

Strategic Advisor at Fresh to Go

City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Overview

Nicki is an award-winning product innovation specialist and the founder of food brand Think Flavour, leveraging over 27 years of experience in the South African retail sector. A graduate of Arundel High School, she previously led innovation and product development for retail giant Pick n Pay, shaping their strategic direction.

Outside of her entrepreneurial ventures, Nicki is a passionate foodie and mother who champions the importance of work-life balance. Her recent focus has been on bringing her personal dream of a proudly South African food brand to life, creating products that deliver easy and flavourful solutions for consumers.

Unique fact: Throughout her corporate career, Nicki has won an astonishing 35 Sunday Times awards for product innovation.

Personality Overview

Very Quick

Strong-Willed

Candid & Clear

They do not care very much about building rapport or relationships.  They like to stay in control of the negotiation or defining of the terms. They respond well to strong and respectful communication.

Topics They Care About

Food Innovation
Her entire career is built on food innovation, culminating in launching her own brand, Think Flavour, with unique products like dry-to-wet marinades.
Entrepreneurial Drive
She left a long-term corporate career, stating that the need to be an entrepreneur was an "itch I couldn't stop scratching, " to launch her own company.
SA Retail Trends
As a former head of innovation at Pick n Pay and a speaker at industry events, she is an expert on trends like the growth of plant-based and flexitarian diets.

Media Appearances

Nicki has no verified media appearances

Work History

3-2025
Strategic Advisor at Fresh to Go
7-2024
Founder and CEO at Think Flavour
3-2022 - 6-2024
Head Of Product Development & Technical PNP at Pick n Pay
10-2020 - 2-2022
Head Of Product Development, Merchandise – Pick n Pay at Pick n Pay
10-2018 - 2-2022
Head of Innovation and Trend at Pick n Pay

Education

Education details unavailable from University of Cape Town
1984 - 1998
High School from Arundel High School

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 28 Location : City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa Job Level : Leadership Designation : Strategic Advisor at Fresh to Go
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Insights For Selling To Nicki Russell

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Objectively showcase the impact that your product creates
  • Speak about competitive differentiation that your product offers
  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending time doing small talk

DONT's

  • Avoid being a storyteller and don’t try to oversell
  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead
  • Don’t focus on process and rules, give the impression of being a ‘gets it done’ person

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Nicki Russell is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Nicki Russell

  • If they decide not to go ahead, they will say no without hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Nicki Russell move?

  • If convinced, they can reach decisions quite fast.
  • Can Nicki Russell take some risk or not?

  • They do not shy away from taking risks, but can be quite binary about them.

You And Nicki Russell

Personality Compatibility


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