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| Mike Sheldon, CEO, |
Mike Sheldon, CEO, Network Hardware Resale has overseen a major period of growth at his company, meaning he can spend a lot of his time just trying to keep up.
The company has grown rapidly since its inception in the mid 80’s by Sheldon’s father, Chuck Sheldon, who has since retired from his position at the company and the board. “He’s still certainly involved in spirit,” Sheldon says.
The business was originally focussed on the re-marketing of midrange IBM computers, but in the early 1990s changed to focus exclusively on pre-owned, used and refurbished networking equipment, primarily by Cisco.
Today it has grown into a global organisation which claims to be the world’s leading reseller of pre-owned network equipment from the likes of Cisco, Juniper and Extreme, as well as lifecycle solutions. It also partners with manufacturers for the resale of new networking equipment and data centre hardware.
“Our company has grown very fast and so every year there’s been new managers and typically a new executive or two,” says Sheldon.
As a result, Sheldon tries to hold one-to-one meetings with his executives every week, alongside other weekly meetings with his operations group. He also works closely with his sales team and ensures he is personally involved with any large deals being made.
This year has been particularly challenging for Sheldon as he looks to push the business further into new growth areas. “We’ve traditionally been a networking focussed company for both hardware resale and maintenance, but officially at the beginning of this year, we launched a formal move into the entire server and storage area,” he says. “It’s basically a whole new business and it’s meant a lot more recruiting.”
To help Sheldon unwind, NHR’s office in Santa Barbara boasts a gym and yoga studio accessible to all 200 members of staff on site. He also takes full advantage of the California sunshine: “I spend every chance I get at the beach. It helps that it’s 22 degrees and sunny in January,” he says.
In the evening, his home life can occasionally feel as full on as his office life: “When I walk in the door I have four kids rushing at me like a football team,” Sheldon says.
Taking a well-earned holiday is therefore always part of his agenda: “It frequently feels like its always busy, but I certainly like to get away now and then. It’s nice to unwind with my wife and kids.”
