Henry Stewart
Henry is the founder and Chief Executive of Happy (previously known as Happy Computers), who provide training in both desktop IT and how to create great places to work. Although only employing 45 people, Happy has won wide recognition for its innovative approach to management and to customer service.
In 2003 Management Today rated Happy as the best company in the UK for customer service, in its annual Service Excellence awards. Previous winners included First Direct and Nationwide Building Society.
In 2004 the Financial Times rated Happy as the very best company in the UK for work/life balance. In 2006 the company was named as having the most positive impact on society of any small business in the UK, by Business in the Community.
In 2007 the Financial Times rated Happy as the 2nd best place to work in the UK, in its annual Best Workplaces awards. (Happy has been in the top 50 in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.)
“Imagine a company based around the principle that ‘people work best when they feel good about themselves’”, explains Henry. “Imagine a workplace where, instead of levels of approval, people are trusted to make the key decisions for themselves. Imagine trusting people to work out their own balance of life and work. Imagine a blame-free culture where mistakes are celebrated. Wouldn’t you want to work there? We are still learning but that is the type of company we are seeking to create.”
Henry is convinced the approach pays dividends in business terms, with benefits in greater staff retention, easier recruitment and more motivated employees giving great service to customers.
The company has certainly being tested, as the IT training market (Happy’s core business) went into severe recession with a fall in sales of 30% across the sector. Happy continued to grow as many competitors went into administration or were forced to merge.
Major clients include the NHS (where over 200,000 staff signed up to Happy’s online learning materials), the Department of Work and Pensions, Charity Commission, Pfizer, UBS, BAA and hundreds of charities.
Outside of work, Henry lives in Hackney and is married with 3 children, Chair of Governors of his local comprehensive (which his children attend) and Chair of the charity Antidote, which works to boost emotional literacy in schools. He was also one of the first people in the UK to successfully challenge his endowment provider and the first to take his bank to court over penalty charges. A keen cyclist, in July 2008 he cycled the Etape, the public stage of the Tour de France – consisting of 105 miles through the highest mountains of the Pyrenees.
Contact Details for Henry: