As president and general manager of venturing and emerging brands, Deryck van Rensburg has been in his corporate venturing role at US-based soft drinks company Coca-Cola North America for five years.
He has worked for 25 years at Coca-Cola, and previously at Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever. His role before his corporate venturing position was as president of the company’s Germany and Nordic division based in Berlin.
He has a master of business administration from University of Bath.
Lessons from the top: Van Rensburg said: “There are many lessons. To name just a few – staff the venture unit with diverse, high-calibre and credible associates to ensure strong and effective links to operating units, pick great entrepreneurs and not just great brand ideas, pay as much attention to the graduation of businesses once successfully incubated as you pay to doing deals.”