The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is delighted to announce that Marcus Wild, Chief Executive Officer at leading shopping center development company SES Spar European Shopping Centers, part of the SPAR Austria Group, will be Chair of the ICSC European Board when Jaap Gillis stands down at the end of his three year tenure in April 2009.
Of his new appointment Marcus Wild said: "It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be awarded this important role to act as an ambassador for ICSC across Europe. I look forward to actively developing ICSC across Europe, especially in the coming year as we all face the impact of the current global economic condition on the shopping center industry. We must act wisely with farsightedness to help ICSC members successfully negotiate the next few years."
Marcus Wild brings a strong retail background to the role of ICSC European Chair. He moved to his present role CEO of SES from Spar Austria which has an annual turnover of more than $13 billion and employs over 60,000 people. SES Spar European Shopping Centers, founded in 2007, is responsible for the management of large-scale properties and the development and construction of shopping centers in Austria and across Europe.
Marcus added: "Personally, I will really enjoy my new role because I believe that our company goals at SES closely match those of ICSC. I will focus on building on the excellent work of Jaap Gillis who has worked tirelessly on ICSC's behalf over the last three years. With my retail background I will work to increase the participation of retailers in ICSC and aim to build on the extensive work that ICSC is doing to develop industry sustainability and the implementation of international standards.
"I will also work to promote new membership across the whole of Europe, reinforcing ICSC's presence in Central and Eastern Europe, where the organization has so successfully expanded over the past few years."
Ermine Amies, manager director at ICSC Europe, said: "We are extremely fortunate to be able to follow Jaap Gillis's strong leadership of ICSC in Europe with the appointment of Marcus Wild, who has extensive experience of the industry from all perspectives: retailing, developing and managing. There are few people in the European Shopping Centre Industry who have this unique mix of experience, knowledge and commitment and I know that Marcus will harness all three for the benefit of ICSC members worldwide."
Jaap will pass the Chairmanship to Marcus at the ICSC European Conference, being held this year from 22-24 April at the Catalonia Palace of Congresses in Barcelona, Spain.
Source: Nicky Godding Communications
