Neal is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa) with a Post Graduate qualification in Leadership Development from the Stellenbosch Business School. He began his career at Deloitte & Touche and in 2009 moved to Pan African Resources PLC, which was to mark the start of a 15-year long career in the mining sector. At Pan African, Neal held various leadership positions across its gold, platinum, and coal mining portfolios. In 2019, he was appointed CFO of Mopani Copper Mines and later became CFO of Glencore Copper Africa. Neal joined Chemaf Resources Ltd in 2021 as COO, responsible for corporate development, strategy, and future business opportunities.