New associate partner at JBR Interim & Governance: Tijs van der Wielen

"Making healthcare a little better every day, together with the people in healthcare - that is my motivation."

From his experience as both line and transition and program manager in hospitals, among others, Tijs knows what it takes to actually implement strategy in organizations performing under high pressure.

"I am always with one leg in the mud remain standing. Strategy is only valuable if it actually lands in practice."

Focus on specialist medical care and healthcare transactions

Tijs has extensive experience in medical specialist care, including hospitals, Sensory Disability Care (ZG care) and diagnostics. In all these domains he encounters complex change tasks that require both managerial acuity and support in implementation.

Increasingly, this involves him becoming involved in healthcare transactions, such as mergers and restructurings. "I see many opportunities to use my expertise in transition management in healthcare transformations that also have a business or strategic transaction component. That combination suits me well - and also JBR."

Reflection on course and motivation

Early this year, Tijs consciously paused to reflect on his career. "After years of involvement in governance and management in education and healthcare, I asked myself: what really makes me happy? That turned out to be where I work with teams on transformations. Where you experience up close how people grow, structures change and results emerge - in a sector that matters."

Tijs oriented himself broadly and spoke with various parties. JBR's name came up three times. "I started a conversation with Caspar van der Geest. We compared our networks and found that we complemented each other. Later he called back with the question: wouldn't you like to join JBR Interim & Governance as an associate partner?"

From strategy to execution

What Tijs brings is a combination of business acumen and experience within healthcare organizations. From previous assignments he has extensive experience with transitions and restructuring within healthcare.

"In a hospital, multiple speeds and cultures intertwine. Transformation is people work: between departments, across professional boundaries. That requires more than just a plan - it requires guts, leadership, patience and a view of the practice.”

His interim and transition experience makes him quick to catch on to complex tasks, without months of familiarisation time. "I know what a director needs because I was a director myself for many years. And I also know when you just need to move with what's going on on the shop floor, or not."

Timing and energy

Tijs is clear about why this is the right time for him. "My daughter and son are grown, space has opened up. I am stopping this year as team manager of the first men's hockey team of HC Rotterdam that I have coached for seven years with great pleasure and dedication. I am now using that energy for interim and transition work, where I am also literally going back into the country a bit more often."

Besides his work, he is a lover of Italy, good food and social conversations. "I'm burgundy by nature - that sometimes helps in change projects too," he laughs. "But no kidding: I genuinely enjoy helping people move forward. In healthcare, but also outside of it."

Interested in getting acquainted?

Tijs enjoys getting in touch with healthcare organizations looking for temporary reinforcement at the managerial or strategic level for both line and project roles - or with people who want to spar about change or care transactions in medical specialist care.