Claus qualified for his BSc (Agric) at the University of Pretoria in 1984 where after he managed a large commercial crop farming unit for 5 years.  He then spent 12 years in project finance, investment banking and private equity at the IDC and thereafter BoE Merchant Bank.  During this period, he completed his MBL studies for which he qualified for in 1996.

In 2001, he joined Hans Merensky Holdings and served in various capacities until he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Hans Merensky Holdings Group in 2011. Under his leadership, HMH grew turnover and profitability by a compounded rate of 30% per annum over 8 successive years. Since his appointment, Westfalia Fruit expanded its leadership globally in subtropical fruit being integrated from research, nurseries, farms, packing, processing, distribution, and marketing with 51 subsidiaries in 15 countries. Merensky Timber is the leader in Eucalyptus lumber in Africa, also being fully integrated from breeding, nurseries, forestry, processing to marketing. The export of logs was developed with premium logs into Asian markets.

In December 2019 he stepped down after assisting the HMH Group to raise significant capital and beginning the process of unbundling the respective fruit and timber businesses. Claus specializes in agricultural finance & private equity, structured finance, agricultural production, agricultural processing and value adding, global fruit distribution & marketing, forestry and timber management, turnaround management, global acquisitions, international equity raising and corporate governance.