Safestore Holdings PLC, which operates more than 140 self-storage facilities in the United Kingdom, has appointed David Hearn as chairman. He joined the company on Dec. 1 as a non-executive director and will assume the chair role from Alan Lewis in January, according to the source.

Hearn is currently chair of the a2 Milk Co. in New Zealand. He previously served as chief executive of international private-equity firm Committed Capital as well as Cordiant PLC in the United Kingdom and United States, Goodman Fielder in Australasia, and United Biscuits in Asia and Europe.

“David will be an excellent successor and brings a proven track record of chairing companies through significant expansion,” said Frederic Vecchioli, CEO of Safestore. “His extensive experience and commercial knowledge will be invaluable to Safestore as we drive the business forward through our next phase of growth.”

“Safestore is a market leader, and I am excited to be joining the business at this next stage of its growth,” added Hearn. “I look forward to working with the board and the executive team to capitalize on the clear opportunities that lie ahead.”

Lewis announced his intention to retire in January. He served five years as non-executive chair and spent more than 10 years on the Safestore board. “The board would like to thank Alan for his extensive contribution, guidance and stewardship of Safestore over the past decade,” Vecchioli said.

Safestore operates 119 facilities it owns in the U.K. and 27 in France. Its storage properties comprise 6.37 million square feet of storage space and serve approximately 64,000 customers.

Source:
Insider Media Limited, New Chairman Unveiled at Safestore