On 8 July 2010, van Houten was nominated to succeed Gerard Kleisterlee as CEO of Philips [3] in order to focus more on healthcare.

[4][5][6] Since then, he and his team has driven the transformation and revitalization of the Philips portfolio to become a focused health technology company through targeted divestment, acquisition and organic business development.

[7] In 2016, he floated Philips Lighting, the company's original business dating back to 1891, allowing the parent to focus on healthcare equipment.

He's also driven increased investment in R&D to establish new businesses in areas like digital pathology, medical wearables and healthcare informatics.

He is co-founder and advocate of NL2025, a platform of Dutch influencers who support initiatives to create a better future for the Netherlands in the areas of education, sustainable growth and a vital society.