Name: Michael Sherman
Age: 33
Job Title: CEO
Company: HENRI
Years in the Industry: 11
Education: Master of Engineering (ECE Paris)
Dealerscope’s 40 Under 40 Honoree 2021
Describe your current role.
I am the owner and CEO of HENRI, a family-owned business founded in 1961 by my grandfather, specializing in electrical, automation and audiovisual installation. It contributes to the highest-end projects ranging from private residences to luxury hotels, which require the utmost mastery and precision. I develop and manage a team of 50 amazing people, located in three offices in Paris, the French Riviera and the French Alps.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
For the past years that I have been involved in the company, we have achieved a lot, increasing five-fold the company turnover, expanding our national presence, creating and growing two subsidiaries, successfully targeting the hospitality market sector, and much more.
But the accomplishment I am the most proud of is being able to do this while ensuring the transmission of my grandfather’s values, and the craftsmanship know-how, maintaining the highest-quality standards of the company, recognized by multiple awards.
What do you like best about your job?
What I like the most is the strong relationship I have with the people I work with. I like organizing, developing and managing that team, and I have been lucky enough to see it grow from 15 to 50 people; and I personally mentored numerous employees from apprenticeship to management positions. We have a strong company culture based on family values and pride, and strive towards excellence, and there is nothing more pleasant than working with people sharing the same values. They are the main asset of the company, and each one of them participates in the development and improvement of HENRI.
What career advice would you give to people just getting started in the CE or technology industry?
Be curious. There is always something new to learn and that’s why this industry is so exciting — whether it is a new technology, a new expertise or simply discovering more about the construction business and all the craftsmen composing it.
What, in your opinion, is necessary for the CE/technology industry to thrive in the next five years?
We have to work together to develop the industry. We are a lot of small businesses, and being able to share knowledge, experience and much more will help us all grow the market. I have always been involved in CEDIA, and am now a member of the Board of Directors, because I believe this is the perfect structure to succeed in that common project.
