Joris (1967) grew up in the east of The Netherlands around the Twente University Campus. His father Louis was a professor of Applied Physics, his mother a teacher of music. Joris enjoyed and still enjoys music and sports, and still is a fanatic (but modest) road cyclist.
After finishing high school (Gymnasium Beta, De Grundel, Hengelo), he left for Rotterdam to study Business Informatics (Bestuurlijke Informatica), at the Erasmus School of Economics. Upon completion in 1991, he moved to Maastricht for a PhD position in Operations Research at the Maatricht University School of Business and Economics. His dissertation (1996) is on production optimization in automated manufacturing.
Joris subsequently agreed with Maastricht University to develop the application of operations research and develop the industrial connections. He was appointed as director of the resulting company Mateum, and had an academic carreer switching from the School of Business and Economics to the Faculty of Sciences and back. During these activities he got involved in planning and optimization problems in healthcare (e.g. the design of the hospital of the future see www.orbisconcern.nl/top-menu/over-orbis/orbis-medisch-centrum/.)
He accepted the invitation to chair the department of Health Services Management & Organisation of the Instutute of Health Policy & Management of Erasmus University Rotterdam from 2009. Joris has served as director of Education of the institute from 2011 till 2014. Joris has served as chairman of the board of the Dutch Operations Research Society in 2007,2008.
The institute of Health Policy & Management of Erasmus University Rotterdam plays an important role in the Dutch Health Sector, hosting the MBA program in Health Care Management, more than 250 MSc student in Healthcare Management Health Economics and Health Policy, participating in European joint degrees, and engaging in international teaching on all continents. It scored 20 out of 20 points for research excellence. Firmly rooted in the highly ranked Dutch Health systems, it offers an exciting hub to engage with health care managers accross the globe.
Nationally Joris has worked with health service organisations among with Erasmus Medical Center, National Transplantation Foundation, Dutch Hospital Assocation, Philips Healthcare, et cetera. Joris is currently focused on engaging in international research projects in China (via Worldbank), Ethiopia (via Nuffic), Europe (EU sponsored),and in international teaching. He believes crossing boundaries and cultures opens eyes, minds, and hearts, and strengthens knowledge and management of healthcare. He is devoted to optimize todays health service networks to efficiently create better health outcomes accross the globe, and especially where it is needed most.