<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Lloyd G. Waterhouse, principal executive officer, certify that:

   1.    I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Reynolds and
         Reynolds Company.

   2.    Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
         to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
         such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
         covered by this annual report;

   3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
         information included in this annual report, fairly present in all
         material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
         cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
         this annual report;

   4.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
         establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
         defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) for the
         registrant and have:

         a)       designed such disclosure controls and procedures or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
                  to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
                  made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                  during the period in which this annual report is being
                  prepared;

         b)       evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                  controls and procedures and presented in this annual report
                  our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                  controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by
                  this annual report based on such evaluation and

         c)       disclosed in this annual report any change in the registrants
                  internal controls over financial reporting that occurred
                  during the fourth quarter that has materially affected or is
                  reasonable likely to materially affect, the registrants
                  internal control over financial reporting;

   5.    I have disclosed to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee
         of registrant's board of director or person performing the equivalent
         function:

         a)       all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal controls over financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to affect the
                  registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information, and;

         b)       any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrant's internal controls over financial reporting; and

   6.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this
         annual report whether there were significant changes in internal
         controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal
         controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation,
         including any corrective actions with regard to significant
         deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date:  December 11, 2003                                 /s/ LLOYD G. WATERHOUSE
                                                         -----------------------
                                                             Lloyd G. Waterhouse
                                 Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and President

                                       59