Safe appoints Nabil Lodey as first EMEA Vice President

Safe has appointed Nabil Lodey as Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, its first senior executive post for the region.

The appointment marks another step in the Surrey, British Columbia-based data integration company's expansion into Europe after it established operations in the UK and Ireland as a hub for regional activity. It is also ahead of its target to reach USD $250 million in global revenue by 2028, giving the move added significance as it builds out its international leadership team.

Lodey joins from 1Spatial, where he was Managing Director for the UK and Ireland. He brings direct experience of a market where Safe has been increasing its focus, as well as familiarity with FME, the company's flagship data integration product, through 1Spatial's role as a Safe partner and reseller.

His appointment also reflects a broader trend among North American software companies placing senior decision-makers closer to customers and partners in Europe. For Safe, which says more than 20,000 organisations use FME in more than 120 countries, the creation of a dedicated EMEA leadership role suggests the region is becoming a more established part of the business rather than simply an expansion project.

Lodey has spent more than a decade in technology and geospatial software roles. Before moving into software leadership, he began his career in the Royal Navy. He holds a degree in Economics from Queen Mary, University of London, and is a Sloan Fellow of London Business School.

Regional focus

Lodey will lead Safe's presence and customer development across EMEA. The company has been building its local footprint since opening operations in the UK and Ireland, and his remit is expected to include both direct customers and the partner network that has helped distribute FME in international markets.

That partner channel has been central to Safe's overseas reach. Its software has been localised into multiple languages and is used globally through an international reseller and partner network. Bringing in an executive who already knows that ecosystem may shorten the time needed to turn a recent operational foothold into a broader regional structure.

Safe has also been refreshing its wider leadership team. It recently added Judd Lee as Chief Financial Officer and Vanessa Ribreau as Chief People Officer, indicating organisational change alongside geographic expansion.

Don Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Safe, linked Lodey's appointment to the company's regional ambitions.

"We're delighted to welcome Nabil to Safe Software as our first VP EMEA," said Don Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Safe. "Nabil already knows our business, our partners, and the FME Platform, which makes him exceptionally well placed to lead our growth across EMEA. His appointment is a clear signal of our long-term commitment to our customers and partners in the region."

Market backdrop

Safe was founded in 1993 and has built its business around software that helps organisations connect, transform and automate the use of data from different systems. The company positions FME as a tool for handling a wide range of data tasks, from spatial information and cloud migration to stream processing and business intelligence.

That makes Europe a potentially important market. Many public sector bodies, utilities, transport groups and large industrial organisations in the region have long-standing needs around geospatial data, system integration and regulatory reporting, all areas where data conversion and workflow tools are commonly used. Lodey's background in geospatial software suggests Safe sees those sectors as important to its next phase of regional growth.

His move from 1Spatial is also notable because it comes from within Safe's existing commercial orbit rather than from an unrelated software supplier. That could reduce the learning curve around product positioning, channel relationships and customer expectations in the UK, Ireland and wider Europe.

The announcement did not set out specific country targets, but the emphasis on local expertise and presence points to a more direct engagement model in the region. For a software provider with a large installed base across many countries, appointing a first EMEA vice president often signals a shift from supporting business at arm's length to building a clearer regional chain of command.

Lodey highlighted the company's customer history and existing partner base in his first remarks after taking the role.

"Safe Software has built something rare: 30 years of customer-driven innovation and a genuinely global community of customers and partners who rely on FME every day," said Lodey. "I've seen the impact of FME first-hand, and I'm excited to help more organisations across the UK, Ireland, and Europe do more with their data and AI applications as well as building on Safe's already strong partner network and growing local presence."