Bluewater owner Landsec makes key executive appointment

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jan 12, 2022

A big appointment for Landsec. The UK commercial property giant has hired Remco Simon to its executive leadership team in the newly created role of managing director – Strategy and Capital Markets. Effective immediately, the role will report directly into CEO Mark Allan.

Simon joins Landsec from property investment and development firm St Modwen where he was managing director – Strategy and Corporate Development. With over 15 years’ experience in international real estate capital markets, he has also held roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Kempen & Co. 

In his new role, Simon will have responsibility for strategic planning, capital allocation and capital markets activity.

Since the return of non-essential retail last spring, a clear strategy path has become an all-important part of the property sector’s journey out of the pandemic and into a hopeful new year of prosperity.

In late November, Landsec unveiled what it called a new, “customer-centric approach” to accelerate its retail strategy. The new retail structure is “focused on creating closer relationships with its brand partners as part of its ‘Reimagine’ strategic pillar”.

Specifically, it wants to get closer to both existing and emerging brands, to “elevate” the group’s retail destinations and “curate guest experiences that can’t easily be replicated online”.

The new structure “replaces the previous, asset management-focused approach with three key areas: brand management, channel management and guest experience”. 

The company said it will leverage innovative technology and data-driven insights, giving it “a deeper understanding of the guest experience”. This allows it to “support its partners with the right spaces at every stage of their relationship with Landsec”.

Allan said of the new appointment: “Over the last six months we have clearly demonstrated our strategy in action, injecting fresh momentum into the business. Remco’s expertise will help us to convert this momentum into even greater value for our investors as we continue to grow through 2022.”