FROM THE SSAA BOARD

From the Board

As memories of summer holidays begin to fade and the work year begins in earnest, we asked the SSAA Board to share their hopes and aspirations for our industry.

Michael Alafaci:

I hope this year, as an industry, we stand out and get recognition for the level of service we have delivered and will continue to deliver to our customers in the face of many challenging circumstances. I also hope the strong and sustained economic returns finally gets the recognition it so well deserves, to the extent that our storage sector gets elevated into an asset investment class of its own.

Ryan Coom:

I hope this year, as an industry, we learn and expand from the changes to the way we have had to work during lockdowns to a more flexible way of working with the use of technology. Cloud-based software, remote access and functions, digital locks, online or app-based functions all benefit staff and facility operations and customers.

Wayne Dade:

I hope this year we learn from the challenges the pandemic has presented and ensure we focus on our employees’ well-being, health and safety. We are fortunate we haven’t been hit as hard with employee retention as other industries have, but in a jobseeker’s market, I’m sure many of us in the future will be spending time on recruitment and training. Let's be ahead of the curve and focus on employee retention.

Shaun Bain:

I hope this year as an industry, the trend of increased technology and automation continues to streamline our processes further, to deliver a faster and more customerfriendly experience to our valued customers.

Ned Coten:

I hope this year, as an industry, we can think more about the critical importance of environmental sustainability. I’m very interested in how the industry (and other industries) can help leave the world in a better place for our children and grandchildren.

Ivor Morgan:

I hope to continue to build on the solid growth across the industry and show the same resilience we have throughout the pandemic. It will also be nice to reconnect and get back to normality with face-to-face events and social catch-ups with members.

Martin Coote:

I hope this year as an industry we recognise how well we’ve done throughout the pandemic and continue to thrive as our world reopens. I’ll be spending some time integrating the lessons learnt from COVID into my life and work.

David Daddow:

I enjoy mentoring businesses who are starting out, so I hope this year, as an industry, we see new and current small operators reach their goals in an industry with so much potential.

Thomas Whalan:

My hope is that we can procure various insurance options, making coverage accessible for members and their customers. In 2022 I'm also focusing on our people to support leadership development and growth.