Born in Johannesburg in 1975, Oved was a teenager in 1994 when South Africa experienced its first democratic elections, and the political and social shift motivated and inspired him to seek and develop the numerous business possibilities he saw around him.
Gil Oved and childhood friend Ran Neu-Ner worked together on a few projects before the founded and grew The Creative Counsel into the juggernaut it is today, the biggest advertising firm in Africa. The company was bought by French firm Publicis Groupe in September 2015, but Neu-Ner and Oved remain co-CEOs.
The Johannesburg chairman of the global Young President’s Organisation has always had a soft spot for television, and between 1990 and 1995 a teenage Oved was an anchor presenter for the country’s first multi-racial television teen magazine programme called Zap Mag, alongside Vusi Twala.
The experience of working with fellow investors on Dragon’s Den South Africa and being presented to by budding entrepreneurs led to all five of the Dragons getting together after the first season to write a book called, “I’m In”, described as the essential guide for entrepreneurs.
Oved was selected as the first shark to debut on the South African version of the internationally popular reality television show, Shark Tank, alongside fellow Dragon, Vinny Lingham. The show is currently airing its first season on South African satellite TV.
While many entrepreneurs drop out of school to pursue their business objectives, Oved chose to focus on attaining a solid education while chasing business success. He attained a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Cum Laude) at the University of South Africa, as well as a chartered financial analyst (CFA) qualification.
Oved is no stranger to awards, and along with Neu-Ner, he was recently given the EY Southern Africa World Entrepreneur Award for 2016 in the Exceptional category, with the World Entrepreneur Awards recognising entrepreneurs for their vision, innovation, courage, and leadership.
Before the immense success that Oved now enjoys, there was failure. Along with Neu-Ner, Oved began an Internet trading company, raising around a million dollars while developing a business called Wealthmaker. But in the early 2000s the dot.com bubble burst and the pair went bankrupt along with their investors.
In 2014 Gil Oved was named the GQ Best Dressed Man, with the men’s magazine recognising the business leader for more than his savvy in the boardroom. He is often described as a South African celebrity with an excellent fashion sense.
Oved and his business partner Neu-Ner remain co-CEOs of the Creative Counsel, and through their company they are one of the largest first time employers in South Africa, having provided tens of thousands of jobs for those looking to enter the job market.
Oved tweets from his personal handle @gil_oved, and uses social media to connect with business peers and over 12,000 followers who are interested in his tweets. On his twitter profile Oved describes himself as a “Passion-fuelled optimist”.
