TransUnion Partners with South African Motoring Industry Doyen Osborne

TransUnion Africa has partnered with one of the doyens of the South African motoring industry, Jeff Osborne, as a business development partner as it looks to evolve and extend its auto industry solutions offering in the local automotive sector.

Osborne was the CEO of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) for nearly 14 years before leaving to found Gumtree Auto ZA, the country’s leading auto online platform.

Kriben Reddy, the vice president of auto information solutions at TransUnion Africa, said Osborne’s unmatched knowledge and relationships across the South African motoring industry would be key in the company’s continued growth in the vertical.

“Jeff’s 50 years of experience across various aspects of the auto industry is a tremendous asset as TransUnion continues to evolve its offering as an information and insights company,” said Reddy.

“His insights will be key at a time when the industry is being challenged more than ever to provide consumers with a safer, fluid experience across digital and offline channels as it looks to counter the combined effects of a recession and COVID-19.”

Osborne started his career in the fuel industry, and later owned and operated a group of Zenex retail fuel service stations across the north of Johannesburg, where he pioneered the first convenience store at a fuel station in South Africa. He became CEO of the RMI in 2001, and took the organisation from technical insolvency to a successful and financially healthy business.

“I’m delighted to be partnering with TransUnion’s auto team at such a pivotal moment for the industry and the business – particularly at a time when consumer-driven change is reshaping the process of buying and selling vehicles at an unprecedented rate. TransUnion’s technology evolution, and the way the company is using technology to support auto industry consumers and customers alike, is an extremely attractive proposition,” said Osborne.

“I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundations already in place to help identify new opportunities with a strong focus on innovation, while aligning with the company’s growth strategy.”