Ross van Reenen, a born and bred Free Stater from Golden Gate, Clarens, has an impressive track record as a financial growth, turnaround and transformation leader, chief executive, board chairman and developer of businesses and people.
As Chairman of various companies in the financial service industry, development and growth for companies in the banking and insurance industry, he was instrumental to ensure growth and profitability to these companies. Ross has international executive, consulting and strategy expertise combined with a wide experience across several economic sectors, especially in the financial services industry.
He has consulted in Europe and the United Kingdom for various international companies with regards to strategic turnarounds and growth initiatives.
His expertise has been retained by Barclays Bank plc in 2005 to 2008, for a three-year assignment in Africa and the Middle-East, where he introduced the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to all 342 branches of Barclays Bank plc in Africa and the Middle East.
He also consulted for Standard Bank, MTN, the International Rugby Board, the Sports Science Institute, the Relyant Retail Group, Liberty Life and was until recently the CEO of the Free State Cheetahs (Pty) Ltd where he spearheaded a dramatic turnaround in the structures and sustainability of the Company over the past 3 years.
He has forged major business alliances and built the insurance arm as MD of Dental Insurance Administrators (DENIS) from foundation to a large and profitable business. He also turned the ailing South African subsidiary of a German-owned international business, WC-Water Comfort, into a Top 300 Company in the Western Cape.
He has lectured to postgraduate MBA students for more than 20 years and developed and mentored rising stars in the business world.
His key strength is growing top-line income through financing, shareholding, mergers, and alliances, as well as unlocking revenue potential to deliver growth, profitability and sustainability in South Africa and international companies.
Ross holds a BA (Hons) and Higher Education Diploma from the University of Pretoria and the Free State. He attained his MBA Degree with Distinction from the Oxford-Brookes University in London and was awarded an Honorary Masters Merit Award in 2006 by Milpark Business School for his ground-breaking research and study, “Career Development for Professional Rugby Players – an Educational and Management Perspective”, the first-ever empirical study done worldwide in this field.
He intends to do a PhD part-time with the UFS Business School in ‘The ‘Holistic Career Development and a Strategic Business Leadership Model for Success – a Managerial and Empirical Perspective’
Ross played 62 Currie Cup matches for Free State and was part of the team that won the Currie Cup and beat the All-Blacks in 1976. Giving back to rugby, he founded and still chairs The South African Rugby Players Foundation (SARPA) to prepare professional and amateur rugby players for a career or business. He founded the Ross van Reenen Academy to structure this professional preparation for players. His best-selling book “From Locker Room to Boardroom – converting rugby talent into a business success” was Number 1 on the Exclusive Books Bestseller list within 16 days of its release.
With erstwhile teammates, he co-founded the VRYBOS initiative to help former players with prohibited medical expenses. He is a Springbok lifesaver and deep sea angler and received provincial colors in rugby, water polo, biathlon, triathlon and deep sea angling and lifesaving.
He has been a financial columnist for Acumen and Financial Leadership for many years as well as writing his own business column for the monthly magazine, Automobil, of the Retail Motor Industry. Ross has been editor of various business and educational magazines and has published more than 250 academic and business articles.
He played in four finals for the Free State, was part of the winning team against the All Blacks and in the same year (1976) won the Currie Cup for the first time in 100 years.
Ross was bestowed a Professorship by the University of Free State (UFS) Business School at the beginning of April 2025, and is also the Head of the ‘Business Hub’ at the UFS Business School.
Ross lives in Bloemfontein with his wife Annelize.
