David Brous
David Brous is Strategic Business Group CEO at Henry Schein [Photo courtesy of Henry Schein]
Strategic Business Group CEO, Henry Schein
“I’m the youngest of three children in our family. From the time I was a kid, business discussions were a steady part of the conversations at our family table. Not the details or the specifics, but always the background, ideas, and the people. My father grew up in retail. He ran a large, regional/national chain of stores. When I was in grade school, he made the leap to go out on his own to buy an import and distribution business. When I graduated from school, I joined the company, having the chance to work directly with my dad for more than five years. It was among the greatest professional experiences I have had during my career.
“Of course, we had a chance to spend significant time together, something which can never be understated. I also had a chance to watch and learn. As he moved from a public/corporate environment to his own business, my father concentrated on hard work, profitability, and cash flow. However, he always kept his strong concentration on where the business was headed as well as on his team, with a laser focus on always doing what was right. It’s these traits that have stayed with me and helped shape my career.
“The dot com boom was underway just as we sold our business. I tried a few startups. Raised some money, much of it from friends and family. It was clear early on that one of the startups was not going to make it, so I decided to return all of the money that had been raised. Although financially painful personally, I learned from my father that nothing was more important than my reputation. Opportunities could come and go, but relationships live a lifetime.
“When I first met the team at Henry Schein, I found these same values. Henry Schein is a company built on relationships. It’s a big part of what attracted me to the company and an even greater reason why I’ve remained for the past 20 years.”
