Neil previously served in various interim management roles, up to Chief Executive level, and from 2001 to 2005 was Executive Director of a research institute in Washington DC providing analysis to the US Congress on their human rights and international aid policy in Latin America. Worked as a policy analyst for Oxfam GB and represented the organization for several years at the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Neil has a BA from the University of Cambridge, a Master of Studies from the University of Oxford and Masters in Business Administration from Cass Business School, City University.