What drew you to this role?
“When I was originally approached about making the move from Boston to Milwaukee, I found somewhere it was called ‘the pearl of the Midwest,’ which intrigued me. Now with the expansion of the Wisconsin Center in the near future, Milwaukee has everything it takes to be a major destination for conventions and events.”
How does Milwaukee’s hospitality scene compare to other cities?
“It's hard to answer this under the current safety restrictions, but I have been so pleasantly surprised by the genuine sense of hospitality. Fantastic luxury service isn't necessarily white tablecloths and fancy food; it comes from creating a memorable experience through caring and intuitive service.”
What are your top priorities amid COVID?
“Our top priority is keeping the team safe and motivated. We are focused on communicating with our clients on the steps we have taken to update our protocols to keep them safe while also continuing to actively sell events for 2021 and beyond.”
Favorite part of living in Milwaukee?
“Milwaukee has the best of both worlds: beautiful landscape with the lake and lots of outdoor opportunities, plus great city amenities like sports teams, world-class museums, live music and festivals, which I am so excited to experience once we've moved on from COVID.”
Favorite activities in your free time?
“My family spends our weekends exploring the different neighborhoods and surrounding towns. We love finding a great hole-in-the-wall restaurant and walking around getting to know the different areas in the city.”
Julio Henriquez
General manager, Wisconsin Center District
Age: 36
Hometown: Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Education: Bachelor of science degree in accounting and finance from Universidad Autonoma de Nayarit
Previous position: General manager at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center
