 On his father's death in 1881, Henri Menier became mayor of Noisiel, an office he held for 32 years until his death in 1913.The beneficiary of a substantial fortune, and having a large annual income from the family business, Henri Menier spent a great deal of his time and money pursuing various leisure interests, notably yachting and auto racing.As the eldest son, Henri Menier was the titular head of the company but the day-to-day management would mostly be left to his very capable brother Gaston.