About Barend

I started out as an auditor, where finance, valuations and the discipline of precise thinking became the foundation of how I work. That grounding has stayed with me, but over time, I also came to understand its limitations.

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Integrity

My Story

One lesson has stayed with me above all others: the numbers can tell you where a business stands, but they cannot tell you how far it can go. That answer lies elsewhere; in vision, in values and, most importantly, in the people who bring those things to life.


I am a chartered accountant by training, and that rigour will always be part of how I think. But I no longer see it as the whole story. It is the foundation, not the ceiling.


Today, what I bring is broader. Real commercial experience, sound financial judgement to keep a strategy grounded, and a genuine optimism about what is possible when the right people and ideas come together.

My work sits at the intersection of strategy, transformation and leadership. That is where I have built my experience, and where I believe I can make the greatest difference.

How I Choose To Lead

I have always been interested in understanding what makes people tick, including myself. Over time, I have come to recognise a handful of qualities that consistently shape how I think, lead and work with others.

  • Perspective

    People come to me for perspective. I help them step back, see the bigger picture and understand how the pieces fit together.

  • Integrity

    I believe in being honest, consistent and straightforward. What I say and how I act should always align.

  • Kindness

    I take people seriously. I believe good business is ultimately about people, and that how you treat others matters.

  • Humility

    I don't need to be the loudest voice in the room. I would rather let the work, the people and the results speak for themselves.

  • Zest

    I bring energy to what I do. I care deeply about the work, and I believe that enthusiasm is contagious.

Sometimes the answer isn’t to work harder It’s to look at the problem differently. 

Black head silhouette with a white cube in the brain and an arrow pointing toward it

I believe in being honest, consistent and straightforward. What I say and how I act should always align.

Integrity

Built Through Experience

My perspective on business has been shaped by years of being in the room, making decisions, navigating change and building organisations.

Centry Consulting logo with gray and orange abstract graphic and text

Centry Consulting 

Founded 2019

Founded Centry Consulting to work alongside business owners facing pressure, change and significant decisions. The work spans turnaround and restructuring, valuations, virtual CFO support and scenario planning.

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SAICA

Mentor

Continuing to mentor young Chartered Accountants through SAICA. Developing people and igniting potential in others remains one of the parts of my work I value most.

The Leadership Boardroom logo in maroon and black with a hexagon emblem and stylized monogram.

The Leadership Boardroom

Chair, Midstream, Gauteng

Chair of the Midstream chapter of The Leadership Boardroom, a private peer forum where business owners and senior leaders share experience, challenge one another and work through complex business decisions together.

Credo Business College logo with red and gray text and the tagline “professionals in training”

Credo Business College

CEO since 2023

Leading an institution providing accredited accounting qualifications to students across South Africa, with a focus on developing the next generation of financial professionals.

Black head silhouette with a cube in the brain area and arrows pointing toward it

I believe in being honest, consistent and straightforward. What I say and how I act should always align.

Integrity

Credo Business College logo with red and gray text and the tagline “professionals in training”

Leading an institution providing accredited accounting qualifications to students across South Africa, with a focus on developing the next generation of financial professionals.

Chair of the Midstream chapter of The Leadership Boardroom, a private peer forum where business owners and senior leaders share experience, challenge one another and work through complex business decisions together.

The Leadership Boardroom logo in maroon and black with a hexagon emblem and stylized monogram.

Credo Business College

CEO since 2023

The Leadership Boardroom

Chair, Midstream, Gauteng

Beyond work

There is a lot to learn outside the boardroom. For me, golf, walking and wine are more than things I enjoy. Each brings a different kind of balance to life, and each has taught me something along the way.

Walking

My daily walks are where some of my clearest thinking happens. Away from screens, meetings and noise, things have a way of falling into place. Walking creates space to reflect, restore my energy and reconnect with what matters. Sometimes the best answers come when you stop looking for them.

Black stick figure next to a curved black line on a white background

Golf strengthens resilience

Black directional signs on poles above stylized black hills on a white background

Walking clears the mind

Two clinking champagne glasses with bubbles, black outline on white background

Wine lifts the spirit

Together, they bring balance to life.

Black head silhouette with a cube icon and arrows pointing toward it

I believe in being honest, consistent and straightforward. What I say and how I act should always align.

Integrity

Credo Business College logo with red and gray text and the tagline “professionals in training”

Leading an institution providing accredited accounting qualifications to students across South Africa, with a focus on developing the next generation of financial professionals.

Chair of the Midstream chapter of The Leadership Boardroom, a private peer forum where business owners and senior leaders share experience, challenge one another and work through complex business decisions together.

The Leadership Boardroom logo in maroon and black with a hexagon emblem and stylized monogram.

Credo Business College

CEO since 2023

The Leadership Boardroom

Chair, Midstream, Gauteng

Beyond work

There is a lot to learn outside the boardroom. For me, golf, walking and wine are more than things I enjoy. Each brings a different kind of balance to life, and each has taught me something along the way.

Hiker with backpack and trekking poles overlooking a sunlit desert canyon at sunrise.

Walking

My daily walks are where some of my clearest thinking happens. Away from screens, meetings and noise, things have a way of falling into place. Walking creates space to reflect, restore my energy and reconnect with what matters. Sometimes the best answers come when you stop looking for them.

Golfer swinging a club on a green course with mountains in the background

Golf

Golf has a way of keeping you humble. It is frustrating, rewarding, unpredictable and endlessly challenging, often within the same round. I enjoy that about it. One bad shot does not define the round, just as one difficult moment does not define a business or a person. There is always another shot to play, and usually something new to learn.

Man smiling and holding a glass of red wine in a brick wine cellar under warm lighting

Wine

Living in Stellenbosch introduced me to a love of wine, but what I enjoy most is what surrounds it. Wine brings people together, creates conversation and encourages you to slow down and appreciate what is in front of you. There is always something new to discover, and I enjoy that sense of curiosity.

Stylized black stick figure bending forward on a white background

Golf strengthens resilience

Black directional arrows and signs above stylized rocks on a white background

Walking clears the mind.

Two black clinking champagne glasses icon

Wine lifts the spirit

Together, they bring balance to life.