Ben Neal
St Leonards
Summary
Dynamic Digital Product Leader with over 11 years of experience driving strategic initiatives and execution across high-growth native apps and web platforms in diverse sectors, including travel, health tech, gaming, and insurance. Expertise in scaling user adoption, achieving a 53% increase in app engagement, while securing executive-level buy-in for comprehensive multi-year product visions. Proven track record in managing multi-squad clusters and mentoring product managers, utilizing A/B testing frameworks to deliver substantial commercial outcomes, including over £1 million in first-year profits. Committed to fostering innovation and excellence in product development to achieve transformative business results.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Product Manager
Secret Escapes LTD
06.2023 - Current
- Spearheaded a 3-year Native App Strategy that increased adoption by 53% and secured Executive Committee (ExCo) buy-in, leading to the appointment of a CRO as the ExCo sponsor.
- Orchestrated the Conversion and Search Optimization roadmaps across iOS, Android, and Web, aligning cross-functional teams to drive global platform consistency.
- Engineered an end-to-end A/B Testing Framework to govern complex, revenue-optimizing experiments, resulting in an 8% uplift in booking conversion rate (CVR) for major acquisition campaigns.
- Optimized Customer Effort Score (CES) by leading discovery phases to identify and eliminate core friction points, achieving the highest customer satisfaction results on record.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary functions (Engineering, Design, Marketing) to foster a collaborative 'super-squad' environment, ensuring high-quality delivery and strategic alignment.
- Travel Tech (Native App & Web)
- Led cross-functional teams to develop and launch innovative travel products enhancing customer experience.
- Analyzed market trends and customer feedback to inform product strategy and roadmap decisions.
Senior Product Manager
Fastic GmbH
05.2021 - 05.2023
- Accountable for the Product Vision and Roadmap for a leading Health Tech app, hitting key OKR targets for subscription conversion, DAU, and retention.
- Delivered a 4% purchase conversion uplift and a 50% reduction in subscription cancellations by optimizing the web-to-app onboarding funnel.
- Launched the company's first organic referral journey, increasing organic sourced traffic by 6-8% within the first year.
- Streamlined core product features by eliminating friction in the fasting user journey, reducing unnecessary steps for 70% of the user base.
- Health Tech (Native App)
Head of Digital & Product / Digital Product Manager
The Health Lottery
03.2018 - 05.2021
- Directed the Digital Vision and UX Strategy for the organization, managing digital agency relationships and budgets exceeding £2m.
- Architected and launched the company's first native app, which outperformed the original business case by 25% and drove digital adoption to record highs.
- Generated over £1m in profit within the first year of launching a new white-label casino product.
- Achieved a 60% uplift in player deposits on the mobile journey by implementing rigorous A/B testing and journey optimization.
Early Career Progression
Hastings Direct Insurance LTD
06.2010 - 05.2018
- Digital Product Manager (2014-2018): Managed digital product initiatives within a highly regulated environment.
- Operations Analyst / People Manager (2012-2014): Developed foundational leadership skills and data analysis expertise.
- Insurance
Education
High School Diploma -
The Grove School
Sy Leonards On Sea06-2002
Skills
- Product development strategy
- Portfolio Management
- OKR Definition
- ROI Optimization
- Executive Stakeholder Management
- Leadership
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- A/B Testing
Timeline
Senior Product Manager
Secret Escapes LTD
06.2023 - Current
Senior Product Manager
Fastic GmbH
05.2021 - 05.2023
Head of Digital & Product / Digital Product Manager
The Health Lottery
03.2018 - 05.2021
Early Career Progression
Hastings Direct Insurance LTD
06.2010 - 05.2018
High School Diploma -
The Grove School
Community And Interests
- Volunteer Member (Former Chairman): The Hastings Round Table; organized an annual festival raising ~£1.4m for community donations.
- Personal: Golf, football, travelling, and socialising with family and friends.
Professional Development
- Professional Planning Foundation Certificate.
- Awards: Two-time recipient of Company Recognition Scheme Awards (2013, 2016).
Community & Interests
- Volunteer Member (Former Chairman): The Hastings Round Table; organized an annual festival raising ~£1.4m for community donations.
- Personal: Golf, football, travelling, and socialising with family and friends.