The world’s leading saxophone maker recruits a specialist in premium brands to pursue its development
Paris (France), 20 July 2021 – Thierry Oriez succeeds Jérôme Selmer as President of the Henri Selmer Paris group, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium-quality saxophones and a key player in the production of clarinets and mouthpieces.
Jérôme Selmer will remain a member of the Supervisory Board and thus stay in close contact with the company founded by his great-grandfather.
For more than 25 years, Thierry Oriez has been managing French, family-owned companies with prestigious brands. For the past seven years (2014-21), he has been President & CEO of J.M. Weston, a luxury shoe manufacturer founded in 1891 and based in Limoges, France. Before that, he was President & CEO of Christofle (2007-14).
Mr Oriez will leverage his experience and his fine-tuned knowledge of the sale of high-quality products worldwide to pursue the growth and development of Henri Selmer Paris. He will deploy his expertise in imparting value and transmitting artisanal know-how, crucial to preserving an artistic profession. As the company’s new president, he will strive to promote creativity and continue to be of service to musicians, while preserving the Selmer’s values and family-owned character. To do so, he will rely on a team of devoted, skilled artisans, heirs to a unique manufacturing tradition.
Jérôme Selmer said, “In the tradition of my ancestors, I have worked to ensure that the image of Henri Selmer Paris continues to shine throughout the world. I am confident that the new management will bring more success to our storied company. Let’s combine our talents to design the future and continue to nurture the company my great-grandfather founded in 1885.”
Thierry Oriez added, “I have spent my entire career serving highly-skilled manufacturing and family-owned companies. At Selmer, I see similar values of long-term commitment and determination to grow by blending tradition with modernity. I will seek to promote and accompany the development of Selmer’s exceptional, French savoir-faire.”
Louis Godron, founding partner of Argos Wityu, private equity fund and majority shareholder of Henri Selmer Paris since March 2018 alongside members of the family and management team, concluded, “I am very thankful to Jérôme Selmer for the 40 years he has devoted to promoting Selmer and its expertise. Innovation has always had a special place in Jérôme’s heart, and this has led to highly successful products, such as the recently launched Supreme saxophone. I am fully confident that Thierry Oriez will know how to carry on the tradition of Henri Selmer Paris. He will bring his visionary outlook, while preserving the company’s identity.”
Agence toBnext
Antoinette Darpy
Press contact
adarpy@tobnext.com
+33 6 72 95 07 92
Henri Selmer Paris
Mathieu Dubois
Head of Communication and Marketing
mdubois@selmer.fr
+33 7 83 24 37 96
Argos Wityu
Coralie Cornet
Head of Communications
ccc@argos.fund
+33 6 14 38 33 37
About Argos Wityu / www.argos.wityu.fund
Argos Wityu is an independent European investment fund that supports companies in the transfer of business ownership. It has assisted more than 80 entrepreneurs, focusing its investment strategy on complex transactions with emphasis on transformation, growth, and close collaboration with management teams. Argos Wityu seeks to acquire majority interests and invest between €10m and €100m with each transaction. With more than €1bn under management and 30 years of experience, Argos Wityu operates from offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Luxembourg, Milan and Paris.
About Henri Selmer Paris / www.selmer.fr
A clarinet manufacturer from its founding in 1885, Henri Selmer Paris started producing saxophones in 1921. Then, by acquiring Adolphe Sax’s workshop in 1929, Henri Selmer Paris became heir to the inventor of the saxophone. Today Henri Selmer Paris is the world’s leading manufacturer of premium-quality saxophones and a key player in the production of clarinets and mouthpieces. The company has nearly 500 employees, and 90% of its sales derive from outside France. Supported by Argos Wityu since 2018, Henri Selmer Paris recently opened its own distribution subsidiary in China, has developed a pre-owned instrument business and has launched several particularly innovative products, such as the Supreme saxophone.
