Retail-focused REIT Hammerson has appointed a managing director for the UK and Ireland, creating a brand new role.
Mark Bourgeois, executive director of Capital & Regional plc has been hired for the position. He will also sit on Hammerson's Group Executive Committee.
Hammerson said that its entry into the Irish retail property market last year had inspired the change, and that Bourgeois would assume overall responsibility for leasing, asset management and operations across the shopping centre and retail parks portfolio in both the UK and Ireland.
Hammerson's retail portfolio in the region currently amounts to around £6.2 bn (€6.8 bn).
'The ever increasing pace of structural change in retail has led us to revaluate how we operate as a business and how we drive forward the various divisions. This role brings a new level of expertise and skills and is in line with our ambition to deliver the best European retail locations for our retailers and consumers,' commented David Atkins, CEO of Hammerson.
As part of the change in structure to the senior team, Martin Plocica, currently director of UK and Ireland Shopping Centres, will support the transition to the new structure before leaving the company in 2017.
