I would say that one does not hire someone like this to manage startup-style growth. You hire someone like this to prepare a company for acquisition.
Ex-HID CEO Joins Feenics Cloud Access Startup
Published Aug 03, 2016 12:38 PM
The CEO of access control's most well known manufacturer, HID, exited just over a year ago.
Since that time, Denis Hébert [link no longer available] has stayed active as the Chairman of SIA.
Now, he is going back to the manufacturer space, but from a mega corporation to a startup, Feenics (see our Feenics test report).
In this note, we share feedback from Feenics, looking at the potential upside and risks of the move.
President ** *******
****** *** ****** *** ***** *é**** [link ** ****** *********] *** **** hired ** ****** ****** *************** ** ** ***** *********. [**** ** ****** available]
*é**** *** ****** ** ***'* ********* and *** *** **** ** ***** until ******* *** *******, ** * sudden **** **** ********* ****,******** ** ***'* ********. ****** ***, ****** ****** ** ******* ********* roles *** ********* ** *** ** and ******.
Role ** *******
**** ****** [**** ** ****** *********], Feenics *** ***** ** **** ***** *é****'* internal ********** **************** *** ***** ***** *********, ** will ** ****** **** ******** ******* 'to *** **** *****' ** ********* efforts, *********** *********, *** ******** *** ***********. His **** **** ** ** "******* enable *** ********* ******* *** ******** in ******** *****-****** ********* ** ******".
****** *é****, *** *********'* **** *** *********** a ****** ************** ** *** *** Shalaby [**** ** ****** *********] *** his **** **** [**** ** ****** available], *** ******** ******* ******* ***** 30+ ***** ******* *** ******** ********* **********.
***, ******* **** **** * *** (Sam *******), ********* (*é****) *** *** / ** (******).
Previous ******* ************
**** *** ******* *** *** ****** have ******** ******* ************* **** *é**** ** his ******** *****, **** ******* ******* on ** *** ********** ******** ***** *** ******'* own ******** ********* **********.
Positives ** *** ****
**** **** ********, *** **** ** market ***** ****** ** ** ********, even **** *** * ***** ****** play **** ****** ******. ********** ** the *****-**** ****** ****** ******* ******, having * **** **** *é**** ** *** ranks *** **** ***** *** ************* otherwise ****** '*** *****' ** ****** to * ***** ******* **** *******, who ***** ** ********* ** **** his ****** ********** *** ********.
*** **** ******** ********** ***** **** *é**** could ********** **** ****** **** **** established **** ****** ****** ******* ********* but ******* ***** ** ** ** *******.
********, ** ** **** **** **** for *******, **** ********* ***** ****** view **** **** ********** *** ******* validation *******.
*******, **** ** *********** *****, *é**** *** be **** ********* *** **** ****** relationships **** **** *** ******** **** could **** *** ******** ****** ** have ***** ****** ***** *** **** ******** people **** *** *****.
Risk - ******** ** *******
*é****'* ********** ** ** ******** ***** ************* ** mature *******, *** ** *****, ******* tech ******** **** *** ******* * new ******. ** *******, ***** ** a **** **** *** ********* *** skill **** **** ***** ******* ** succeed ** **** *********** ***** *** only ** ********* ** * ******* but ***** ** *****************.
Risk - ************* ***** ****** ********
** ********, ********* ** ***'* *** (limited) ******* ******** *** ***** ** far **** ******** **** ** * mega-corporation **** *** ***** ********** ** more ***** **********, *********, ********, ***. In * *******, ** **** **** decisions ** ********* **** ******* **** more ******* *** ******** ************* ** access ******* ******** *** ***** **********. It **** ** *********** ** *** how **** ** **** ** ** this ******** ****.
Risk - *** **** *****
****-************ **** **** *****, *** ***** need **** ***** ***** ****. *** Feenics, * ******* **** * *** dozen ********* *** *** * ********** (including ****** *** *** ********** * VP ** ***** *** *********). **** they *** *** *****? ** ** not **** *** ***** ** * general **** ** '*** **** ***** in *** *******' ******** *********** ********.
Feenics ****** *******
** ***** ** *** ******* ****** ****** ******* ****** ******, ***** **** **** ***** *** many *************** ******** ** ***** ***** *********, the ******* ** ***** ********** ******* core ************ *** ******** ***** ** more ****** *********.
**************, **** *** ******* ** **** up ***** *** ************ (**** *** most ******* ** *** ***** ************ ****). *** *é**** ***** ********** *** ************* with *** *** ** ******* ********? This **** ** ** ********* ***** to *****.
** *** **** *****, *** ****** will **** **** **** **** ********* from *** ******* ********.
Vote ** ****
Comments (5)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Aug 03, 2016UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Aug 05, 2016I would caution Feenics in a hire like this. Especially since Hebert was 12 years with the same large company. Feenics is in an earlier stage of market adoption and requires market creation and development.... a long way from the HID mature market model. In fairness HID did help create the market many many years ago, so perhaps Hebert was a driving part of that. I also don't know Hebert personally and cannot comment if he has the energy, curiosity, and learning style to adapt quickly (which is essential in a start-up) to market responses. If I had to bet I would say this proves to be a mis-match for both Hebert and Feenics.
JH
John Honovich
Sep 17, 2016U
Undisclosed #3
Sep 17, 2016Interesting.
It sounds as though he may have bought his way in:
...Hébert was joining the company as president and equity partner.
Which could explain the too many chefs issue.
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #4
Nov 23, 2016I had a national customer interested in a hosted access control solution, so I reached out to Feenics to see about getting access to the product. They told me that they have an exclusive agreement in Florida with an integrator out of Miami and that if I was interested I could purchase the product through them or wait a year until that agreement is renegotiated.
Limiting access to their product via one integrator in a state that is located 4 hours away from me does not seem like a smart business move. I did not even take this option to my customer, as the access to product and ability to service software and equipment promptly is always a concern of our customers.