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Willem Roos

Insurance founder and executive

By South African Index Editorial Desk · Published · Updated · Last reviewed

Portrait of Willem Roos.
Portrait: MyBroadband · Source. Displayed from the linked source.

Willem Roos was one of the founders of OUTsurance, which launched in February 1998. He joined the project team developing the direct insurer in 1997 and later led the business. [1][2][3]

He joined the RMB Holdings-funded project team in March 1997 and led underwriting after the February 1998 launch. [5]

Founder, executive and director roles

Roos’s founder role began before launch. His later executive and non-executive positions carried different forms of authority. [5][6]

Key contributions

Co-founded OUTsurance and helped establish its direct-insurance model. [1][2]

Led the insurer for much of its first two decades. [3]

Led underwriting after the launch and later shared executive leadership with Howard Aron. [5]

Life and career timeline

  1. Joined the project team funded by RMB Holdings to build a direct short-term insurer. [2]

  2. Co-founded and launched OUTsurance. [1]

  3. Was appointed joint managing director. [2]

  4. Joined the RMB Holdings-backed project team. [5]

  5. Became joint managing director with Howard Aron. [5]

  6. Retired from executive work and remained a non-executive director. [6]

Frequently asked questions

Did Willem Roos found OUTsurance alone?

No. OUTsurance names Howard Aron and René Otto as co-founders with Roos. [4]

What was Willem Roos’s first operating role?

The 2013 annual report says he led underwriting after launch. [5]

Is Willem Roos the current chief executive?

No. He retired from executive work in 2021 and remained a non-executive director. [6]

Related people

  • Howard Aron — South African insurance founder who helped establish OUTsurance and Youi, then served in joint executive leadership roles.
  • René Otto — South African insurance co-founder named by OUTsurance as one of the three people who brought the direct insurer to life in 1998.

Related institutions and movements

  • Youi — Australian insurer launched in 2008 from a model based on OUTsurance and operating within the wider OUTsurance group.

Associated organisations

Related research

Sources

  1. OUTsurance, History and culture at OUTsurance. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩
  2. OUTsurance, Annual Report 2013, 2013-06-30. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩
  3. OUTsurance Group, Our board. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-25. ↩
  4. OUTsurance, History and culture at OUTsurance. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩
  5. OUTsurance, Annual Report 2013, 2013-06-30. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩
  6. OUTsurance Group, Our board. Original source. Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩