In Thierry Oriez’s office
Executive Chairman of HENRI SELMER PARIS
We met with Thierry Oriez, Executive Chairman of Henri Selmer Paris, in his office – which is not always his! – in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.
Previously chief executive of Baccarat, Christofle and J.M. Weston, Thierry’s CV has been chiselled to perfection, and he strikes just the right balance between his passion for hand-crafted products and the broad vision that comes with managing large entities.
Here are some highlights of our interview.
The “Axos” tenor sax
Encouraged by his son, Thierry started learning the saxophone a few months before joining Selmer. When he arrived at the company, he acquired an Axos, a jewel of an instrument marking the start of his musical journey. What better way to experience the instrument you will be in charge of promoting than to learn how to play it?
Henri Selmer Paris stands out in that it offers all employees a musical initiation and individual instruction to those who wish to go further.
The crystal object
Thierry Oriez has had the opportunity to work with many designers over the course of his career, and Jean-Marie Massaud is one of them. Together, they designed a range of derivative products for Air France’s premium classes. Every year, Jean-Marie offers Thierry a newly-created object. In 2021, he gave him this crystal piece, shaped like a berlingot hard candy and aesthetically pleasing to hold in your hand.
The metal box
This silver-coloured box belonged to Thierry’s grandfather and reminds Thierry of his family’s motto: made of iron, not gold. It’s a metaphor suggesting the need for things to be built to last, iron representing solidity, compared with the fragility of gold.
Thierry appreciates the handiwork that went into the box, representing the demands and intrinsic value of artisanal expertise.
The Lego
This Lego derives from a longstanding friendship: a classmate of Thierry’s from ESSEC and with whom he did his national service in Barcelona.
Recently married to Lego’s second-in-command, Thierry’s friend and his bride offered each of their wedding guests a Lego representing his or her personality. The Danish brand knows how to bring out the pop culture side of wind instruments, and Thierry was quite naturally represented with a saxophone.
