Other
Robert Sherrill
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Robert Sherrill leads Imperial Cleaning Systems with the kind of hard-earned resolve that rarely announces itself loudly, but instead reveals itself in the steadiness of a person who has already crossed a difficult distance. He started the company in 2014 after being released from federal prison in 2013, and the road that brought him there was not the one he first imagined. At one point, he says, “Honestly, my plans, at the time, were to work as a food busser and prove myself worthy to be a manager of the restaurant.” It is a line that carries both humility and ambition, the practical hope of someone willing to begin anywhere and climb from there. But a single moment of recognition—or nonrecognition—altered that path. After going in for his annual review and receiving a ten-cent raise, Sherrill made a decision that would define his next chapter. “I went in for my annual review and received a ten-cent raise. I politely declined and started Imperial Cleaning Systems the next day.” The choice reads almost sparely on the page, yet it suggests a sharpened clarity: a refusal to settle, and a determination to build something of his own rather than wait for permission to rise.
Coming Up
Today, Robert is president and CEO of Imperial Cleaning Systems. The title reflects not only where he arrived, but the discipline behind the ascent. In the story of his career, there is a clear through line from aspiration to ownership, from the desire to prove himself in a restaurant to the authority of leading a company. The transformation is striking precisely because it is rooted in practical action rather than lofty rhetoric. He did not merely speak about change; he started a business the very next day.
Where They Are Now
He serves as president and CEO of the company and has said, “Because of my experiences, I became an advocate for equity and change.” That statement gives shape to the larger meaning of his work. The experiences behind it are not ornamental to his biography; they are foundational. They inform the way he speaks about opportunity, and they lend weight to the leadership role he now holds at Imperial Cleaning Systems. His present is his past, and his rise is made more resonant by the fact that he has translated personal adversity into public purpose.
In Their Words “Honestly, my plans, at the time, were to work as a food busser and prove myself worthy to be a manager of the restaurant.” “Because of my experiences, I became an advocate for equity and change.”
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Robert
What is Robert Sherrill's current role?
He is President and CEO of the company.
Where did Robert Sherrill work before?
Before that, he was released from federal prison in 2013 and planned to work as a food busser.
