Transparency and empowerment are key to leading a high-performing sales team, says Owens & Minor’s Dean Huibregtse.
Dean Huibregtse joined Owens & Minor in 2009, but his experience in driving commercial strategy for companies that support healthcare goes back more than 25 years. “My philosophy as a commercial leader is to listen to our customers’ needs first and foremost,” he said. “And to support that I start by ensuring we have the right people in the field, that they’re empowered to serve the customer, and that they’re aware that behind everything we do is a patient or caregiver depending on us to get them the supplies they need.”
Owens & Minor has worked diligently to get even closer to customers in part by more than doubling the organization’s number of sales regions in 2024 so they can better serve and connect with customers. “I’ve also been deeply involved in supporting our expanded investment and launching of key products that offer both choice and value, for example our new advanced wound care products and a full incontinence care line,” he said.
Huibregtse sees his role as twofold: developing and executing a strategy with key customers and industry input that ensures Owens & Minor’s products and services meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry, and working closely with the operations, marketing and product management teams to align offerings and services with market demands to deliver customer value.
Open lines of communication
Enhancing customer focus and satisfaction starts with understanding each customer’s unique needs and challenges, Huibregtse said. “I believe in maintaining open lines of communication and regularly seeking feedback to ensure we are meeting customers’ expectations.”
As an organization, Owens & Minor is constantly investing in training and development for its sales and customer service teams. Continuous improvement through training is crucial, so teammates can provide knowledgeable and personalized service for customers.
“We’re also focused on further leveraging data analytics to help us anticipate what our customers need, so that we can be even more proactive in helping to drive operational efficiencies,” Huibregtse said. “Our ultimate goal is always to identify ways that we can make the business of the healthcare supply chain easier for our customers, so they can focus on the humanity at the heart of care – the patient. For Owens & Minor teammates, that’s really what motivates us.”
One major trend across the healthcare distribution landscape is the focus on supply resiliency. This is an area where Owens & Minor has been very thoughtful in terms of leveraging the strength of its product manufacturing capability, and strategically combining it with its vast network of suppliers to drive flexibility and resiliency across the supply chain, Huibregtse said. “In 2025, we’ll continue working collaboratively to solve the ever-changing gaps in product availability that consistently present challenges for every distributor in the industry.
“Another trend that we’re seeing evolve across the industry is the integration of advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), to more fully optimize supply chain efficiency,” he continued. “Owens & Minor has found that it takes a combination of technology and human touch to achieve true optimization, and we’re excited about our current portfolio of technology solutions as well as the roadmap for future innovations that will help drive further efficiencies.
Lastly, there’s been a lot of discussion around the potential effect of tariffs on various medical supplies. It’s an issue that Huibregtse said the entire industry will have to address. The tariffs that were enacted earlier this year will have a two-year impact and will force the industry to focus on strategies to address this unbudgeted expense increase.
From the heart
Huibregtse believes he has the team and resources needed to meet those industry challenges head on. As a leader, Huibregtse focuses on transparency when engaging with his team. “I believe in being open and honest with my team, which fosters trust and collaboration.”
Another important leadership tenant is empowerment. Huibregtse strives to give his team the tools and autonomy they need to excel and make good decisions, while knowing that Huibregtse is there to support them as needed.
“Lastly, I firmly believe that the path to best-in-class customer service is to put the highest performing teammates on the field,” he said. “If you get the right people in the right roles – on both sides of the table – that’s when the magic happens and the partnership is set up to help deliver amazing outcomes.”
Huibregtse learned a lot about leadership throughout his career and from many different individuals, but it was his son Bennett who taught him the heart lessons that he carries with him in both his personal and professional life. “Bennett struggled with significant health challenges throughout his life, but his strength and perseverance showed me the importance of meeting challenges head on, and the value in knowing that no matter the circumstance, with the right amount of focus and determination, anything is possible.”
Looking into the future, Huibregtse’s vision for the future of the Owens & Minor commercial team is to continue driving customer focus and operational execution that delivers value through their expanded products and services offerings. “Additionally, I envision a more personalized approach to our healthcare distribution, where we can tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs of each customer, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes,” he said. “The more we engage, evaluate and execute, the more we will drive change, together.”