Centric has been acquired by a bunch of Dutch buyers. The board hopes that this may carry the troubled IT service supplier again to calmer waters.
Headquartered in Gouda, Centric employs over 3,100 individuals and operates in eight international locations, together with the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Romania and Sweden. Final yr, turnover was €425 million.
Centric has been underneath scrutiny for years attributable to a seemingly countless collection of scandals surrounding controversial founder and proprietor Gerard Sanderink, leading to (amongst different issues) an exodus of prime managers and a number of other lawsuits between the corporate and Sanderink.
The unrest surrounding Centric was additionally carefully monitored by the federal government, given the essential supporting position of the IT service supplier for a lot of municipalities, well being insurers, pension suppliers and, till final yr, the Dutch Central Financial institution.
With the switch of possession of Sanderink to a brand new group of shareholders, the corporate is embarking on a brand new course. “With this settlement, Centric is lastly getting into calmer waters,” says Peter Wakkie, CEO of Centric. “I want to thank our workers, prospects and companions for his or her belief in Centric previously interval.”
The group of latest homeowners is led by Imker Capital Companions, a non-public fairness agency with Dutch roots and a confirmed observe file in software program and IT providers. A number of well-known entrepreneurs have additionally co-invested, together with Adriaan Mol (founding father of Mollie), Ronald Bezuur (founder and CEO of Uniserver) and Bram Bastiaansen (founding father of ACT Group).
Willem Meijer, CEO of Centric, says that the IT firm is choosing the long run with this group of householders. “Imker Capital Companions is a long-term investor and, along with the consortium companions, brings an excessive amount of information and is dedicated to supporting Centric for additional progress consistent with our technique.”
‘Towards the foundations’
The acquisition remains to be topic to approval by the Netherlands Authority for Shoppers & Markets. The transaction is anticipated to be accomplished in September.
If it had been as much as founder Sanderink, it will not come to that. In an interview with IT commerce journal Computable he states that in his opinion the takeover is “in opposition to European laws and worldwide guidelines”.
“I am curious to see what is going to occur,” he says. “In my view, what is going on is illegal and punishable. We’ll see.”
Sanderink misplaced management of his Centric shares in early 2023 after a case earlier than the Enterprise Chamber. He had already been changed as CEO.