Raf Sels was born in Lommel in 1973. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management Accountancy & Tax from the Provinciaal Hoger Handelsinstituut in Hasselt and is also an ITAA-certified tax accountant.

Over his career, Raf has attended several supplementary management and finance courses. He first worked as a consultant at an accounting firm, before joining SBB Accountants & Advisors in 1996, where he first held a number of commercial positions before becoming COO in 2011, eventually rising to the position of CEO in 2016.

Since 2022, he has held the position of CEO and Managing Director of Maatschappij voor Roerend Bezit van de Boerenbond (MRBB) BV. He is also a board member for several subsidiaries of the MRBB group.