Co-owner and CEO of Comfort Works, Henry Chandra helped develop and scaled what was previously a small, self-funded start-up to become an international outfit today with offices in Australia, China and Malaysia.

A film and mass communication graduate from Swinburne University of Technology and RMIT University, Henry was involved in the advertising industry with careers at Leo Burnett and M&C Saatchi prior to his involvement with Comfort Works. His knack for marketing saw him working with many top brands, which included McDonald’s, Honda and Marlboro, before his career path took a turn.

It all began when he became the business consultant for an old, ugly IKEA Karlanda sofa that moved into his home along with his then girlfriend, Rachel. What began as a personal project of creating a slip cover for an old sofa soon turned the heads of friends and neighbours, who began to put in orders. The rest, as they say, is history.

Like many start-ups, Comfort Works had its own set of challenges in the early years. Despite that, Henry looks upon his entrepreneurial journey as an adventure, fondly remembering the time when he used to walk down the streets of Shenzhen armed with rolls of fabric during the day and juggled multiple roles as a web developer, photographer, marketer and packing specialist at night. His belief in the business and its product was strong, which helped Comfort Works achieve success and transformed the home improvement industry.

Henry’s love for problem solving is very much a part of his work routine and role today. He spends his days helping his team achieve objectives, find solutions and grow together.