Ryno Blignaut

Energizer
DISC Type : I

Chief Financial Officer at Khosla Ventures

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Ryno Blignaut is the Chief Financial Officer and Operating Partner at Khosla Ventures. A Chartered Accountant who studied at Stellenbosch University, he has deep expertise in scaling financial technology companies. He previously served as CFO of Xoom, successfully leading the company through its IPO and eventual acquisition by PayPal.

His South African roots and education from Stellenbosch University, a school with a world-renowned rugby program, suggest a potential connection to his alma mater and the sport. He maintains an active role in guiding high-growth companies through various board memberships.

He holds the unique dual position of being both the internal CFO for the venture firm and an external Operating Partner for its portfolio companies.

Personality Overview

Imaginative

Informal

Relationship Oriented

They are not always early adopters but can be pursuaded by leveraging strong relationships.  They are really good at seeing what the long-term impacts of their decisions could be. They are friendly, approachable and love to make new connections.

Topics They Care About

Global Payments
As the former CFO who led Xoom through its acquisition by PayPal and a current board member at Remitly, he has extensive experience in the international payments space.
Taking Companies Public
He possesses firsthand experience in leading a company through the entire IPO process, a key part of his successful tenure as the CFO of Xoom.
VC Finance Strategy
He focuses on the strategic role of a CFO within a venture capital firm, guiding the financial health and growth of a diverse portfolio of startups.

Media Appearances

Ryno Blignaut - Khosla Ventures. Featured in Khosla Ventures (Official Website)

See Now

Work History

8-2025
Chief Financial Officer at Khosla Ventures
4-2023
Board and Audit Committee Member at Remitly
6-2022
Board Member at HealthifyMe
1-2022
Board Member at WorkWhile
2-2021 - 12-2024
Board Member at Mighty Buildings

Education

1991 - 1994
BCom Hons from Stellenbosch University
CA (SA) since 1998 (trained with Deloitte & Touche) from South African Institute of Chartered Accountants

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 18 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Financial Officer at Khosla Ventures
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Insights For Selling To Ryno

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Speak enthusiastically with energy, maintain a clear and confident tone
  • Do some small talk, ask them how things are going on their side
  • Talk anecdotally about the customer experience that your product offers

DONT's

  • Don’t push them to make a decision too fast, let them get comfortable first
  • Avoid ifs and buts, don’t talk too much about the risks etc.
  • Don’t be excessively objective, be a storyteller

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ryno is

  • Relationship and rapport can play an important role, sometimes more than the other factors.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ryno

  • They will probably never say no directly, you have to make that decision yourself.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ryno move?

  • They are not the quickest decision makers, their friendly attitude could be misleading.
  • Can Ryno take some risk or not?

  • They may take certain risks that they deem unlikely of personal repercussions.

You And Ryno

Personality Compatibility


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