The Fluid Sealing Association (FSA)’s technical director, Henri Azibert, has retired after leading a long career serving the fluid sealing industry.
Azibert's start into the sealing industry was actually his second career. He joined the mechanical seal manufacturer, A.W. Chesterton Co in 1980 after leaving a short career as a lawyer working with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Azibert progressed through the ranks at Chesterton from application engineering, new product development, engineering manager, chief engineer, director of engineering and finally retiring from Chesterton in 2014 as the chief technology officer (CTO). During that time, he served as chairman of FSA’s mechanical seal division, chairman of both the mechanical seal and mechanical packing technical committees, and also vice president of the FSA.
Through his career he was inventor of more than 30 patents, with the most notable patent being the design of a fully split mechanical seal in 1986, spurring a product line that remains in production today. This was a revolution at the time and was the catalyst that changed the product portfolio of many mechanical seal manufacturers.
After retiring from Chesterton, Henri took up the role of technical director of the FSA. Already an active member in the mechanical seal, compression packing and gaskets divisions, his leadership guided the technical activities of all the FSA divisions with a particular emphasis to providing education resources to the sealing industry and environmental stewardship.
Azibert was very active working with many trade and standards associations developing best practices and standard work methods to maximize safety, improve reliability and minimize environmental impact of sealing devices. He also served on the advisory board of the Texas A&M pump symposium, lecturing and facilitating at many of the presentations and workshops.
Retirement will now allow some of Azibert hobbies to become his new career (of sorts). He has been a long time car and motorcycle enthusiast. Combined with a passion for woodworking and post-and-beam construction, this will provide plenty of opportunities to create buildings to store his hobbies and create new living space. Azibert is also an avid hiker who, with his French origins, makes some of the most incredible camping meals, a tradition that he has enjoyed for the last four decades will surely continue on for many more.
The members of the FSA wish Azibert all the best in retirement and thank him for his contributions in promoting of the sealing industry and its technology. As a leader, innovator, mentor and friend, the industry will remember all that you have contributed to its ongoing success.