A note of gratitude: My farewell as CEO of Firely

At the end of this year, I will take my final step in a long and fulfilling career and step down as CEO of Firely, having had the honor to lead this incredible company since we founded it more than ten years ago. 

Over the past months, I have gradually handed over my responsibilities as CEO to Martine Berden and my customer and commercial activities to Ruben Gies. One of the reasons I can step back with confidence is that Martine and Ruben are as passionate about our mission of improving healthcare interoperability through open standards as I am. They truly embody our company culture.

I won’t be disappearing entirely. I’ll remain connected as an advisor and shareholder.   

Healthcare is unlike other industries

I have spent most of my working life in the healthcare industry. The last decade was dedicated to open-source standards for health information exchange, specifically HL7 FHIR, driven by the belief that open standards will contribute to fair and affordable healthcare. 

Healthcare is foundational to civilized society. Freedom, equal opportunity, and accessible healthcare go hand in hand. This is a genuine belief that many in our industry share and a crucial driver for the Firely team members.   

Can I let go?

The handover has been surprisingly smooth and, truth be told, not painful at all. My retirement has been in the making for nearly two years, allowing me to fade out in a planned and thoughtful way. 

“Do you think you can let go?”, people were asking me after the announcement at FHIR DevDays in June. And it’s a fair question. Firely has been a substantial part of my life for many years, both in time and emotional energy. But I was surprised by how easy it is to let go if you have the luxury of time to plan ahead and if you have capable people stepping in with dedication and care. 

The other most-frequent question: “What are you going to do after January 1st?” The honest answer is: I don’t know yet. I guess I will follow Brian Eno’s advice on one of his Oblique Strategies cards: Once the search is in progress, something will be found.

Art and healthcare

As I thought about how to mark this milestone, I wanted to bring together two things close to my heart: healthcare and art.

To me, they share something profound. Both create space for recovery, dignity, and human flourishing. What better way to conclude a career than by celebrating both? 

Together with the Outsider Art Gallery of our local care provider Cordaan, we organized the exhibition Inner Fire II in our Amsterdam office, featuring the work of some thirty neurodiverse artists connected to the gallery. We opened the exhibition on November 18. 

Photos of the opening reception are available here, and you can view the exhibition catalogue below. A note that the artworks in the exhibition are available for purchase. Prices are listed in the catalogue. If you are interested, please contact us.

The people who made it meaningful

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has been part of my working life: customers, partners, suppliers, the standards community, and the many people I met at conferences and events. In the end, the real meaning of the work we do is in the relationships we build. 

I am also immensely proud of the Firely team, whose passion, creativity, and dedication have shaped this company into what it is today. As I step aside, I do so knowing that Firely’s mission remains in capable hands and will continue to grow with purpose and vision. 

My email address and phone number won’t change. Feel free to reach out for a coffee or a chat. I’d love to stay in touch. I look forward to watching from afar as we continue moving toward a healthier, more connected world. 

With deep gratitude and optimism for what lies ahead,

Rien