Matthew Bernath

About

Matthew is passionate about leveraging data to bolster economies and facilitate strategic dealmaking. Matthew founded the ShopriteX Data Ecosystems team to enable data collaboration and monetise Shoprite’s data to benefit its customers. This includes advancing financial inclusion, health and wellness accessibility, and providing economic insights through alternative data. Before joining Shoprite, Matthew led the data analytics capability of Rand Merchant Bank, one of Africa's largest investment banks. Prior to transitioning into data analytics, Matthew was in RMB's Infrastructure Finance division, focusing on structuring and building financial models for project financing deals. His deals include a ZAR3.3bn sale of a grain handling and storage business, a ZAR1.5bn brownfields project financing of an alcohol plant expansion, a ZAR4.5bn project financing of a wind project, a ZAR3.5bn project financing of a solar project and advisory on a $300m border post modernisation project. Matthew was recognised by Narrative Science as one of the "60 Data Changemakers to Know" and was a Data Analytics Leader of the Year finalist in 2022. His contribution to community-building initiatives includes hosting the Johannesburg Data Science and Financial Modelling meetup groups and the highly regarded Financial Modelling Podcast, which was awarded Financial Modelling Resource of the Year 2021. He also formerly hosted the RMB Data Analytics Podcast, where he interviewed decision-makers on how they use data analytics to turn insights into action. Before his investment banking and retail career, Matthew held leadership roles in various advisory and technology firms, bringing his data-driven approach to different industries. He is also a startup investor, having co-founded and invested in several tech startups.