StorHub’s Excelsior Play
Above and Beyond with Next Gen CEO
Raju Ruparelia
“Raju Ruparelia is part of a new generation of CEOs in Asia bringing fresh perspectives to Asia’s largest multinational self storage operators as they expand across - and beyond -
the region. ”
The OGs of self storage companies in Asia are mostly run by their founders, CEOs who, early on, saw the promise of self storage and seized it.
But there is a new type of CEO appearing more and more often in our leading companies’ boardrooms in Asia: deeply experienced leaders from non-self storage fields taking the reins of major self storage firms. Investment, real estate development, hotels and co-working spaces have all seen their standout achievers make the switch to self storage. And now, at StorHub, Raju Ruparelia.
StorHub has grown to encompass over seven million sq ft of GFA across 22 cities in South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong. It has recently accelerated its expansion into Australia under Mr Ruparelia’s watch. To drive the next phase of their development, StorHub have staked their fortunes on a new CEO, an investment professional with over 23 years of experience, much of it (but not limited to) investing in and developing real estate portfolios.
To grow, he and the StorHub team are tackling the challenges of balancing investment into people and technology, even as much of the industry chatter sees a Manichean choice of “people or technology”. That investment is empowering team members to take ownership of their realm within StorHub, lifting the whole company. He shares his approach with STORBOSS as StorHub grows in Asia and expands into Australia.
People versus tech? Or people AND tech?
“Unmanned”, “unstaffed”, or “people-free” - whatever you want to call it, it’s a big trend in self storage. Operators from Scandinavia to Japan to Australia (members can visit the SSAA video archives for our webinars on the topic) have eliminated - or never had - people on-site. StorHub leader Raju Ruparelia isn’t interested in the choice. StorHub is investing in both technology and people.
Of course, the firm works towards maximum efficiency, but isn’t, in his words, interested in “removing people from the equation.” He’s excited about “how technology can make our teams more efficient, consistent, and customer-focused.”
Own it
The investment in technology has given the collective StorHub team a greater ability to take ownership of their operations, whether they have P&L responsibilities or an operational set of KPIs to deliver. Decisions informed by data and supported by faster communications give the team more confidence in finding solutions they can execute on and truly claim as their own, bolstered by their StorHub colleagues. This is true across the organisation, from the C-suite to individual locations.
It’s also among Mr Ruparelia’s management and structural priorities to “work with our teams to focus on what matters, remove roadblocks, and drive accountability and ownership without losing our localness and entrepreneurial spirit.”
From Sydney to Japan, Mr Ruparelia has been struck by the sense of ownership among the entire StorHub team, a strength he is deeply focused on preserving and amplifying.
Tech with a heart
Smarter use of cutting-edge technology and ownership of decisions also support faster delivery of solutions, especially for those on the front lines dealing with customers in need. Empathy is a core attribute StorHub looks for in new hires and develops among team members. Operators know that the 4 Ds that are traditionally cited as bringing customers to SSAA members’ doors aren’t indicative of easy times for people. Mr Ruparelia is sensitive to the fact that his team members are “helping people navigate life transitions, and that requires a service culture grounded in empathy and excellence.”
“It’s about empowering people, not expecting tech to do it all.”
He cites empathy as a core part of the StorHub service culture, especially because many customers come to them during “emotionally complex moments”. They look for it in hiring and also invest in nurturing empathy through the right environment and training. StorHub invests in coaching its teams to “listen actively, respond with care, and understand the context behind a customer’s needs.”
Again, technology empowers staff’s efforts to engage with customers “by taking routine tasks off [staff’s] plate so they have the time and mental space to engage meaningfully.” He says, StorHub’s team members “also focus on building internal culture, because people who feel supported are far more likely to show empathy to others.
It’s about empowering people, not expecting tech to do it all.
That being said, the overall impact of new technology allows for reduced staffing on-site as it streamlines processes, reduces manual tasks, and improves customer experience. StorHub is using the opportunity to transition staff into roles in centralized operations, revenue management, or even more customer support.
Enabling more productive staff to find their best role within the organisation not only makes them happier as they perform better at work and move up the value chain, it makes the entire StorHub structure stronger by developing a higher-performing team that can adapt to change.
All about the team
Right now, that change is more evolution, not revolution. When asked about the StorHub HR profile across Asia, Mr Ruparelia said, “What’s stood out most is the sheer quality of the people across the organisation. From frontline teams to country leadership, there’s a depth of experience, professionalism, and care that’s rare to find at this scale. There is also a clear, shared understanding of where we as an organisation are going, not just in terms of results, but in how we serve customers, present our brand, and support each other as a team.”
Build on the people
The company’s latest growth has been sectorally, with wine storage added in Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore (under the brand WineBanc), and geographically, with a bold move into Australia. It could be argued that Australia looks neither like Asia’s developing self storage markets nor its more developed markets like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. But Mr Ruparelia sees similarities, not differences. He cites Australia’s shared characteristics with core Asian markets like high urban density and housing constraints (especially in cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane), a growing renting population making more frequent moves, high levels of consumerism and digital adoption, and importantly, a population that increasingly values convenience, security, and flexibility—all key drivers of self storage demand.
It’s a two-way conversation between the Asian and Australian branches of StorHub. StorHub Asia aims to bring new perspectives and share best practices with the Australian platform. From headquarters, Mr Ruparelia notes that “given its scale, maturity and operational performance, Singapore has been the driving force in setting high standards in service and execution.
Simultaneously, Australia, considered by many to be the leading and most advanced self storage market in the broader Asia-Pacific, is helping accelerate cross-border collaboration. The Australian team members share their experiences and industry insights to help drive a collective performance to build a regional business with strong local leadership at its core.
StorHub is building on strong foundations so the whole team can collaborate, learn from one another, and push the business forward together.
The outside view
Mr Ruparelia is doing some of that pushing himself, bringing the full weight of his experience to bear. His career started with Deloitte and then Cadillac Fairview, the nation’s leading real estate developer in his native Canada, known for its premium properties. It was there he first learned “to think of real estate as more than just an asset class; it’s a customer experience business” that comes down to people, service, and delivering consistent quality.”
He’s brought that mindset to StorHub. He worked with the investment giant Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) (over $266 billion USD AUM) in Hong Kong for 11 years, eventually running their regional private equity business. While there, he had a front-row seat to how businesses grow, adapt, and scale across different markets. His experience encompassed developing investments across various industries in Asia, working closely with management teams and financial and strategic partners to build value.
He learned the lessons of what makes a high-performing platform tick: clear direction, aligned incentives, and the right people in the right roles. All three elements are all about the people. Those lessons were reinforced through an MBA with the world-class Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
The Rotman programme emphasises working in teams and focuses on integrative thinking, how to reconcile opposing pressures without defaulting to trade-offs. Again, he avoids the tired and artificial divisions that divide growth and discipline, local autonomy and regional consistency, short-term execution and long-term value creation, preferring to use integrative thinking to work towards all those strategic objectives in an effective manner.
Pension vs PE
Even in the chalk and cheese realms of pension fund investment versus private equity investment, he can see the overlap. While PE firms are known for their short-term (typically 5-year) horizons, pension funds are renowned for their long view on asset investment to match their pension liabilities.
But Mr Ruparelia posits that between StorHub’s investor, Warburg Pincus, and his former employer, the pension giant OTPP, “the two organisations are more similar than they might appear. Both are global investors, highly professional, data-driven, and focused on delivering strong, risk-adjusted returns. The investment thresholds, analytical rigour, and expectations for performance are quite aligned.”
At OTPP, the approach is hands-on and operational - quite similar to how Warburg Pincus engages with its portfolio companies. He does point out that, “The main difference lies in the capital structure. OTPP invests off a permanent balance sheet, which allows for a longer time horizon and more flexibility on exit. Warburg Pincus, by contrast, operates through finite-life funds, which brings a sharper focus on timing and execution.”
Keeping a competitive rhythm
The company doesn’t exist in a vacuum, however. Every market it is in is hotly contested. But dig a little deeper and one discovers he’s used to elite-level competition. He maintains the discipline of a top-level athlete which saw him become a varsity athlete (representing his university’s top team) in the sport of Canadian football as a Golden Hawk for Laurier University. He played Offensive Lineman, protecting his team’s most valuable assets while being assaulted by the opposition’s biggest, meanest, toughest players seeking to destroy his ballhandler (the quarterback).
Mr Ruparelia will have to keep the team moving forward to a StorHub rhythm. But he doesn’t miss a beat - and he can keep one. His days as a high school drummer may be behind him, but his love of music hasn’t left him, especially if it’s live music. From Pearl Jam and Radiohead to the unparalleled legend of rock, The Tragically Hip (ed note: the absolute best), he’s still got the groove that will enable him to lead the StorHub team forward.
The team will continue to advance the broad strategic objectives of StorHub to scale in their core markets, streamline operations, raise service standards, and, as this article opened with, invest in technology and people. The new generation of CEOs - including Raju Ruparelia - is bringing fresh perspectives to our industry that will drive the growth philosophy of self storage in Asia for decades to come.
