SafetyCulture, the privately owned, Sydney-based software company, has announced a leadership change, with founder Luke Anear stepping down as CEO.
Anear will transition to the role of Executive Chairman, focusing on strategic vision and investor relations, while Kelly Vohs, former CEO of LivCor, will take over as CEO on January 1, 2025.
Anear, who founded SafetyCulture in 2004, expressed confidence in the timing of his move. “Now is the right time for me to step back from day-to-day operations,” Anear said. “Kelly has the experience and understanding of our platform to take SafetyCulture into its next chapter.”
Anear also highlighted the company’s potential and its positioning, particularly in the U.S. market, as critical factors in the leadership transition.
"The U.S. is our largest market and biggest opportunity, so having a U.S.-based CEO with deep knowledge of the market will be a big advantage," Anear added.
"Now is the right time for me to transition into the role of executive chairman. The business has never been in a better position, and I’m incredibly confident in Kelly and the senior leadership team’s ability to continue to build a world-changing company."
Vohs, who previously led U.S. real estate company LivCor, expressed his enthusiasm for the role. "I am deeply honoured to accept this role and excited by the clear mandate I’ve been given to drive the company forward towards its next big milestones," Vohs said to SmartCompany.
"I’ve seen firsthand the potential SafetyCulture’s platform has to completely transform workplaces, help teams improve and keep people safe. I’m ready to tackle the challenge of helping even more customers start that journey."
SafetyCulture has seen significant progress in recent months, including a US$165 million (A$253.58 million) funding round in September that valued the company at $2.5 billion.
Despite a slight decrease in valuation from the previous year, Anear viewed the funding as a success in a challenging market. "We try not to get too caught up in valuation dips. The market fluctuates, and that is to be expected, but the business has actually never been in a better position," he stated.
The company is on an ambitious path to reach 100 million users by 2032, a goal that Anear noted is becoming increasingly attainable. "We are well on track to become the most used ops platform in the world. In 2022, we set the goal to reach 100 million users by 2032, which was 100 times our user base. Today, just two years on, that goal is now only 50x from where we are, and that will compound in the years ahead," Anear said.
Despite narrowing its losses to $36 million in the last financial year and posting a 30% increase in revenue, the company acknowledged that achieving profitability remains a long-term goal.
Anear also highlighted that the company’s investments in AI, consumables, and insurance products are crucial to its revenue growth, even if these initiatives extend the timeline to financial sustainability.
SafetyCulture's platform, initially launched as a workplace safety checklist app, has evolved into a comprehensive operations platform for frontline workers across industries such as construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail.
The company has also seen rapid growth, with some customers scaling from 5,000 to 80,000 users in the past year. "It’s great but it also means we have to sort out some scaling problems that every growing company faces, like user management for thousands of users per account," Anear acknowledged.
The leadership changes come as SafetyCulture continues to expand globally, including the opening of a new office in Manchester. With a clear strategy in place, Anear expressed confidence in the company’s future. "We are very fortunate to have such a large opportunity in front of us and we have all the foundations to execute on that opportunity," he said.