Martijn’s back!
He and his sales team
are building the business

It was a bit surreal, that day in late 2023 when Martijn Bruinsma walked back through the doors of DLL in Eindhoven. They were the same doors he’d walked through 20 years earlier when he started in the company’s International Management Trainee program. He had 10 great years at DLL before leaving in 2014 for new adventures elsewhere. Now, almost 10 years later, Martijn was back!

Smiles, handshakes and hugs!

“I had an interview for the position I have now,” says Martijn. “Of course, the minute I stepped in the door I ran into ex-colleagues. I got smiles. I got handshakes. I got hugs. And I could see it in their eyes: they wanted to know why I was back. But at that moment, I didn’t know if I would be offered the DLL job, or if I would take it. So what could I tell them? I had to think fast!”

On the fast track

Martijn began his career at DLL in 2001. “It was a good click,” he says. “I was training to be a manager and within five years I was a member of the Management Team and a large restructuring project.” He was leading five direct reports who steered over 50 team members in customer management, administration, debt collections and financial logistics.

Martijn was on the fast track. In 2007, he was promoted to Manager of Online Sales, where he led the development of new business-critical digital services for online B2B and e-commerce. In 2013, he became the Manager of New Business Development for DLL.

A tough decision

In 2014, he reached the 12,5 year milestone in his career. It was a moment of reflection. “I loved working at DLL,” says Martijn. “I loved the people. It felt like a family. But I also realized I am the kind of person who loves to explore and build new things. Once they are built, I need to hand them over to people who are much better in managing the operations,” says Martijn.

It was a tough decision. But he decided he needed to expand his horizons and professional perspectives. He decided to build the next phase of his professional life outside DLL.

Consultancy, processes and data

In 2015, Martijn embarked on a new journey. He joined the PA Consulting Group, a large London-based firm with more than 4000 professionals. As a Management Consultant, he applied his passion for digital innovation to help PA’s customers build new data science capabilities.

From a slide deck to a €400 million portfolio

After four years at PA, he made the next move. “I joined a start-up company where I quickly learned what I was looking for professionally, and also what I wasn’t looking for. I left the company after one year and continued my own business. I was self-employed for two years.”

Then in early 2020, Martijn joined yesqar, together with some former DLL colleagues. “We had an idea on a slide deck and we found an investor,” says Martijn. “We combined our experience in e-commerce and digital transformation to reimagine financing for automotive companies and built a company with a €400 million portfolio! It was a great adventure!”

A LinkedIn message from a DLL recruiter

And then in 2023, Martijn got a LinkedIn message from a DLL Recruiter, asking if he was interested in a chat. He was! The recruiter told him that DLL had ambitious growth plans. They were looking for a Sales Manager, someone business savvy with industry knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit.

“It sounded like a fantastic job,” says Martin. “I had been away for nearly 10 years, but DLL always had a special place in my heart. I love the vibe and the enthusiasm of the people. You can be an entrepreneur in a big company.”

A mandate and a mission

In February 2024, Martijn was back! He had company and industry knowledge from his first 10 years at DLL. He had a broad new range of skills and perspectives as a Management Consultant and founder of a highly successful scale-up company.

“DLL is an optimistic organization that thinks in opportunities,” says Martijn. “I have the honor to lead a super team of talented and experienced professionals. We have a mandate to grow the business in the large Construction, Transport & Industry sectors in the Benelux. We are on a mission to surprise our customers with the leasing innovations we offer, to build solid relationships and help our customers succeed.”

The smiles on their faces were clear

Oh, remember when Martijn walked back into the Eindhoven DLL HQ for that job interview? Remember that look in the eyes of his ex-colleagues, wondering why he was back?

“Well, I just avoided giving a direct answer,” says Martijn. “But they knew why I was there. The smiles on the faces were clear.”