SELF-STORAGE COMPANY THE WILLIAM WARREN GROUP/STORQUEST HIRES CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
January 14, 2014
The William Warren Group Inc. (WWG), a real estate company that owns and operates the StorQuest Self Storage portfolio, appointed Gary Sugarman as the company’s newest principal and first chief strategy officer. In this role, he’ll be responsible for strategic business planning for the company’s development, acquisition and third-party self-storage management platform. Additionally, Sugarman will be charged with direct oversight of the company’s national growth initiative for the StorQuest brand.
The newly created position signifies the progression of WWG’s strategic growth plans, initiated in spring 2012 with the hiring of Kent Christensen, the former executive vice president and chief financial officer for Extra Space Storage Inc., as the company’s chief operating officer, according to a company press release.
“Sugarman adds tremendous strength and diversity to our executive management team,” said Bill Hobin, president and CEO. “Over the past two years, we have focused on investing in our infrastructure and building an industry-leading team of professionals. We’re assembling an incredibly talented group of self-storage individuals who not only have demonstrated an ability to execute at a high level but also have tremendous industry
relationships. Gary is just the type of forward-thinker our company requires to execute a new world business plan and strategy that will support our nationally expanding brand.”
Prior to joining WWG, Sugarman served for five years as the chief operating officer of Edison Properties LLC, where he maintained full profit-and-loss responsibility for all business units of the company’s real estate portfolio, including direct accountability for all aspects of operating the Manhattan Mini Storage portfolio. Prior to his role at Edison, Sugarman spent 20 years operating several national retail chains and practiced as a Wall Street corporate finance attorney.
Sugarman is a graduate of Harvard Law School and The University of Michigan. He has served as chairman of the New York Self Storage Association, a board member of the national Self Storage Association’s Large Operators Council and a member of CubeSmart’s Board of Strategic Advisors.
Based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG develops, acquires and operates self-storage assets in Arizona, California, Colorado and Hawaii. The company was founded in 1994.