Meet the Chair – Special CEO Forum Webinar August 2026

Simon Forrester

CEO, SSA UK

Simon joined the Self Storage Association UK in September 2025, having previously led a range of trade associations and professional bodies at the UK and European level across such diverse sectors as jewellery, construction, healthcare, business tourism and public health pest control. He is responsible for the strategic direction of SSA UK and leadership of the staff team. Simon has an MBA from Birmingham City University.

Paul Whittaker

Flexiss Group

My self-storage journey has been one of growth and genuine joy, working through four different groups, multiple brands and been directly involved with over 35 facilities since my adventure began with BiG Storage back in November 2012. I am now a Director of the Flexiss Group, a team I am proud to be associated with I was as a founding member and later the first Chair of the SSA YLG (Young Leaders Group). I have been fortunate to be directly involved with a huge mix of facilities, from traditional self-storage locations and buildings, dealing with the challenges and opportunities these present, as well as being instrumental in location finding, development, financing, operating, exiting and acquiring, some of the most advanced facilities in the UK today. 

Laura Moxham

YBA

Laura founded YBA in 2014 and has since become a recognised authority in digital marketing for the self storage industry. With over 75 self storage clients across the UK and beyond, she brings deep sector knowledge and a proven understanding of what drives enquiries, occupancy and revenue growth.

A Google Premier Partner and trusted industry specialist, Laura and her team at YBA deliver strategic growth through Google Ads, Local SEO, AI and intelligent automation. Her approach combines data, experience and commercial insight to create consistent, measurable results.

Laura is known for her straight talking advice, technical expertise and ability to turn marketing into a predictable engine for business growth.

Steffan Morgan

Cushman & Wakefield

Professional Expertise and Summary of Experience

Steffan has 11 years of experience in the Real Estate sector and has a wide-ranging skill set that includes brokerage, capital markets and valuation. Steffan is an RICS registered valuer with experience in valuation of retail, industrial, offices and alternative assets across the UK and Europe. Steffan is a former director of a small independent practice in Wales, and later joined Vail Williams concentrating on UK based operation occupancy and strategy.

Steffan joined Cushman & Wakefield to bolster the self-storage team in 2021 and has been a key part in dealing with valuations and transactional activity across the EMEA region. He has a significant network of agents, clients, and investors on a pan European level.

Cushman & Wakefield

Steffan is a Partner in the Self-Storage Team and now leads the Self-Storage Investment and Advisory initiative in the EMEA region.

Steffan works closely with Cushman & Wakefield’s most valuable self-storage clients offering advise and services relating to capital markets, investment and advisory, working closely with client on growth aspirations and portfolio strategy. His experience in valuing the asset class and transactional work makes him an invaluable resource to any client’s team.

Advising across the UK and Europe has meant that Steffan has developed an understanding of international capital flows, cross border operational intricacies and complicated corporate structures.

Developing key relationships with small, medium and large self-storage operators has been at the fore front of Steffan’s activity, understanding the complicated operational drivers of value of his clients’ businesses, developing the Cushman & Wakefield business consultancy offerings.

Portfolio strategy and growth have been a priority for Steffan, using client requirements, data and locational expertise to identify geographical voids and opportunities across the UK. deploying strategic teams across Europe, including the industrial and logistics and repurposing teams to unlock on and off market opportunities. Conversely his role as a portfolio strategist makes him well placed to advise on exit strategy and disposal, leveraging his team to advise on and deliver the best possible exit or restructuring for operators, investors and partners.

Advising on sell side and buy side M&A transactions on a single asset and portfolio level, his expertise on pan European advisory has enabled the development of a best in class offering for Cushman & Wakefield.

Capital Markets and Valuation work undertaken for C&W’s self-storage clients is pan European and coverage includes;

• UK
• Netherlands
• Germany
• Spain
• France
• Denmark
• Belgium
• Italy
• Sweden
• Portugal