Speakers
John McGlynn
Federico Rölz
Sam Kennard
Session
Four continents. Four very different playbooks. One industry.
This session brings together four operators who've each taken a different route to the top of their market: Federico Rölz (CEO, Mr.[B] Self Storage) has built a self-storage platform across five Latin American countries from the ground up; Sam Kennard (CEO, Kennards Self Storage) runs the largest privately-owned operator outside the US; Chris Oosthuizen (CMO, Stor-Age Property REIT) offers the listed-REIT perspective from South Africa and the UK; and John McGlynn (Founder, Scottish Capital who own Storage Vault, Lockup and Covault) has taken his business beyond storage into flexible and micro-workspace.
Together, they'll compare growth strategies, capital models and what's next for the industry — a truly global view from four very different markets.
John McGlynn is the founder of Scottish Capital, a privately held family investment office established in 1994, and the founder of Storage Vault — Scotland's largest self-storage brand. Since launching Storage Vault in 2014, he has expanded the platform into flexible workspace with CoVault and, in 2026, micro-workspace brand LOCKUP.
Through Scottish Capital, John invests long-term capital across operating businesses, real assets and public markets, with a focus on durable, cash-generative businesses. The group's holdings span real estate, healthcare, technology, finance and mining.
He holds degrees in Accountancy and Law, has studied at Harvard Business School, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of the West of Scotland. Beyond business, John is an executive producer in film and television, with credits including a Brian Cox directorial debut shot in Scotland.
Beyond business, film and television are a genuine passion. John made a cameo appearance in Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland and was appointed an executive producer by Alan Ritchson, who now plays Jack Reacher in the Amazon series Reacher. In 2025 he took a
cameo role in, and was appointed co-executive producer of, Glenrothan, a film made in Scotland and the feature directorial debut of Brian Cox. He is also an investor in and executive producer of Flickers Films Ltd.
Federico Rölz is CEO of Mr.[B] Self Storage, a vertically integrated self-storage platform operating across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Over 15 years, he has led the company's expansion across five countries — Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic — growing it to 19 facilities, 72,000m² and over 7,300 units, with a pipeline targeting 100,000m² and 10,500+ units by 2028.
A recognised industry voice, Federico has spoken and moderated at events across the US, Europe, and Asia, and co-founded the self-storage association in Guatemala. Mr.[B] is a four-time winner of the Modern Storage Media International Facility of the Year Award and the only Latin American operator with a meaningful footprint across five countries.
Sam is Chief Executive Officer of Kennards Self Storage; a private family-owned and market leading self storage business.
Sam joined the family business in 1991 and was appointed to lead the business in 1994. Under his stewardship Kennards Self Storage has grown from 14 storage centres to 129 operating today. The company now has over 935,000 square metres of rentable space available and market value over $4 billion; over 80,000 customers and 402 employees with its activities spanning Australia and New Zealand.
Current expansion plans include 19 new self storage projects and numerous expansions with a total construction cost investment of over $400 million.
Kennards Self Storage is now one of the largest privately owned self storage companies in the world.
He has extensive experience in management, leadership, marketing, culture and property acquisition and development, specialising in self storage and mixed-use development.
Sam is on the Board of the Self Storage Association of Australasia, the Wenona Foundation and The Centre for Independent Studies.
Chris Oosthuizen is a senior executive at Stor-Age Property REIT, South Africa's leading self storage property fund, with more than 110 Stor-Age and Storage King stores across South Africa and the UK.
With 16 years' experience in self storage, Chris's role spans commercial strategy, marketing and digital performance, third-party management, and international growth, giving him a broad perspective on the challenges and trends shaping the industry across both mature and developing markets.
He is also the founder of Digital First, a specialist digital marketing agency focused exclusively on self storage. The agency supports operators across multiple international markets, helping them improve digital visibility, generate demand, increase conversions and drive revenue growth.
Throughout his career, Chris has focused on the practical drivers of sustainable self storage growth, including building high-performing teams, improving operational performance, leveraging technology effectively and executing with discipline.