Rennie Schafer, CEO of the Federation of European Self Storage Associations (FEDESSA) and the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom (SSA-UK) will leave his post at the end of the year to join industry investment firm Flexiss Group as chief executive. Both associations have begun seeking a successor, according to a June 2 email newsletter from FEDESSA to its members.
Schafer has more than 30 years of self-storage experience, with expertise in business management, contract law, lobbying and marketing. He was named CEO of the SSA-UK in 2013 and took on the same title at FEDESSA a year later. During his tenure, he helped the associations increase their level of member services, organized conferences and represented the industry in the media, the newsletter stated.
Schafer will complete his association duties after the FEDESSA conference and tradeshow, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, in Dublin.
Flexiss recently partnered with England-based real estate development and investment firm Compound Real Estate to develop The Comporter Portfolio, a £300 million plan to build self-storage facilities in London and towns along the M25 motorway, the 117-mile orbital road that circles the nation’s capital. Based in Handforth, England, the company offers construction, consulting, development, land-acquisition and property management services. It operates 23 locations under the Scott Storage, The Self Storage Company and SureStore brands and has 18 sites under development.
Related:California Self Storage Association Announces New Officers, Board Members for 2026
Founded in 2004, FEDESSA consists of 12 European self-storage associations that represent about 2,000 facilities. The organization hosts its annual conference each fall in a different European city.
Established in 1995, the SSA-UK is the principal trade association representing self-storage operators and industry supplier members’ interests in the U.K. It has approximately 500 members.
Source: Federation of European Self Storage Associations Newsletter, FEDESSA and SSA UK CEO Departing in October
ISS Staff
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