Willem Roos, the founder and CEO of short-term insurer Outsurance, part of the Rand Merchant Investment Holdings (RMI) stable, has resigned to join wireless broadband operator Rain.
Roos will leave Outsurance at the end of December to take up an executive position at Rain, RMI said in a statement to shareholders on Wednesday.
Michael Jordaan, an investor in Rain, told TechCentral on Wednesday that Roos will take up the reins as CEO of Rain Mobile, Rain’s new mobile arm, which plans to launch services in “beta” before the end of the year.
Roos will relocate to Stellenbosch with his family.
Rain, which is building a national broadband network using 4G+ or LTE-Advanced technology, said earlier this year that it plans to launch a full-service mobile network to consumers. It already offers fixed-wireless 4G+ wireless broadband services through a number of Internet service providers.
The company was created after Multisource, a business backed by former top bankers Jordaan and Paul Harris, acquired Wireless Business Solutions in 2015. WBS owns business-focused telecommunications provider Broadlink. It recently discontinued its legacy iBurst wireless network in favour of 4G+ technology.
Jordaan will serve as chairman of Rain Mobile.
Roos founded Outsurance and has “left a lasting mark” on the business and the broader group, RMI said.
It said Roos “remains committed to Outsurance and will support the business through this transition”.
“He will retain his shareholding in Outsurance and remain on the board,” it said.
“Outsurance has a strong management team who are deeply entrenched in the organisation, with extensive operational experience at the group. These members embody the entrepreneurial Outsurance culture and ethos, ensuring continuity and stability of the business model.” — (c) 2017 NewsCentral Media
