Successful acquisition of De Nieuwe Arts: ‘I can move forward again and help doctors become better at what they do’

Six months ago, Maarten Hitman sold his company, De Nieuwe Arts, to Zorg van de Zaak, a network of companies specialising in work, health and employability. De Nieuwe Arts has retained both its physicians and its distinctive, unconventional character. The company is growing, and Maarten can once again make it home in time to put his children to bed. Together with Bas Tomassen, CEO of Zorg van de Zaak, he reflects on why the partnership has worked so well.

Maarten Hitman (1989) has spent virtually his entire professional life combining medicine with entrepreneurship. He studied medicine and founded De Nieuwe Arts (DNA) around six years ago, driven by a clear ambition: to provide the best occupational health services in the Netherlands, delivered by the best physicians. That meant creating an exceptionally attractive working environment for young doctors. And it worked. Today, DNA employs around seventy professionals, including fifty physicians, and has built an impressive portfolio of clients.

Reinventing the wheel

But after about five years, things started to become more difficult. As DNA grew, so did the administrative burden: tenders, pre-financing, certifications and all the other requirements that come with running a growing business. Maarten: “These were all things I knew very little about – and certainly didn't get any energy from. I felt as though I was reinventing the wheel every single day, when what I really wanted was to move forward. I want to inspire physicians and help them become better at what they do. That's what gives me energy.” Maarten found himself working longer and longer hours, and his family began to feel the impact too. “I have young children, so at some point you start asking yourself: do I really want to be working eighty or ninety hours a week?”

There had been no shortage of offers to buy De Nieuwe Arts. But they all followed much the same model: DNA would be absorbed into a larger organisation. “That simply wouldn't work for De Nieuwe Arts. We're young, fast-moving, sharp and pragmatic. I really don't like anything that feels cumbersome or old-fashioned.”

A different proposition

Zorg van de Zaak came with a very different proposition. Maarten: “Essentially, Bas said: join our network and carry on doing what you do best. We'll help you with all the things that aren't really your strength.”

Bas: “And I meant it. Our role at Zorg van de Zaak is to enable businesses, not tell them how they should operate. If I didn't think DNA was doing a good job, we shouldn't have acquired it in the first place. It's a dynamic company, it attracts talented young physicians and it has a strong client portfolio. Maarten brings an enormous amount of energy and drive, which I really like. “What's more, DNA and Zorg van de Zaak complement each other extremely well. DNA's approach places the physician more firmly at the heart of the process, while Zorg van de Zaak primarily provides full-service support through multidisciplinary teams. Clients can choose the approach that best suits their needs.”

Protecting DNA's identity

Zorg van de Zaak strongly believes that companies within its network should retain their own identity. Bas: “The days of expecting people simply to fall into line are over. Recent major acquisitions in the occupational health sector have shown that this approach doesn't work. The acquired company gradually loses what made it distinctive, employees no longer feel at home and they leave. Nobody benefits from that.”

That's why Zorg van de Zaak focuses primarily on enabling the companies in its network. It does so in two main ways: by providing access to investment and by offering a strong knowledge infrastructure – always tailored to what each individual company needs.

Getting on with running the business

Maarten was convinced by the approach and joined the network around the turn of the year. “About three weeks after the acquisition, I suddenly thought: I'm an employee now. I have a boss. But what does that actually mean? So I called Bas and asked what he expected from me. Did he want to sit down together once a week? Once a month? What was I supposed to be doing?” Bas: “The idea is that we're here to support Maarten. If he has a question, he can come to us. Other than that, he should simply get on with running his business.”

Everyone benefits

As it turns out, the two now sit down together every week to bounce around new ideas and discuss whatever challenges Maarten has encountered. “And above all, we have a lot of fun together. They're genuinely enjoyable conversations. And we're continuing to grow, with new clients and new colleagues joining us,” says Maarten.

Bas: “Zorg van de Zaak benefits enormously too. It doesn't just broaden the services we can offer; it also brings greater diversity to our workforce and creates more opportunities for people to develop and grow. “Ultimately, everyone benefits: Zorg van de Zaak, the physicians and, most importantly, our clients.”