# René van de Zande

> René van de Zande is the founder and former president and CEO of Emergo, acquired by UL in 2017, and co-founder, partner and chief commercial officer of MedEnvoy. Based in Los Angeles, the Dutch entrepreneur also leads Zeeland Ventures and has backed American football clubs and football journalism while maintaining ties to Kloetinge in his native Zeeland.

- **Role:** Co-founder, Partner & Chief Commercial Officer at MedEnvoy Global
- **Organizations:** Emergo Group / Emergo by UL, UL, MedEnvoy Global, Zeeland Ventures, AmCham EU, U.S. Mission to the European Union, Austin Aztex (historical ownership), Austin Bold FC (historical investment), The Striker (historical investment), vv Kloetinge (sponsorship through MedEnvoy)
- **From:** Nieuwerkerk, Netherlands
- **Nationality:** Dutch
- **Education:** Doctorandus / MA in Contemporary History, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postgraduate degree, Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies
- **Known for:** Founded Emergo and developed an international office network., Led Emergo acquisitions in the Netherlands, UK, Japan and Brazil., Led Emergo through its acquisition by UL and subsequent integration.

## Career timeline

- **1990-1997** — Worked in Brussels for AmCham EU and the U.S. Mission to the European Union on internal-market and transatlantic business issues.
- **1997** — Moved to Washington with his family and founded Emergo Group.
- **2009** — Emergo expanded with Paris, Minneapolis and Mexico City offices.
- **2011-2012** — Helped retain the Austin Aztex name; the revived team began playing in 2012.
- **2013** — The revived Austin Aztex won the PDL championship.
- **2017** — UL acquired Emergo; the transaction closed April 21, 2017.
- **2019** — Completed his UL tenure at the end of December.
- **2020** — Became a partner and commercial leader at MedEnvoy; led Zeeland Ventures.
- **2021** — Backed the launch of The Striker Texas.

## Achievements

- Founded Emergo and developed an international office network.
- Led Emergo acquisitions in the Netherlands, UK, Japan and Brazil.
- Led Emergo through its acquisition by UL and subsequent integration.
- Co-founded MedEnvoy.
- Helped revive the Austin Aztex and backed football journalism through The Striker.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — MedEnvoy’s RAPS US Convergence 2026 announcement invited attendees to arrange meetings with René van de Zande for the September Charlotte event.

## Links

- Website: https://zeelandventures.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rene-van-de-zande-9a80321/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rene-van-de-zande
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26