05/10/2012

Legal & General Property (LGP / the Company) announces that it has appointed Neil Crawford as Retail Development Manager as part of its drive to continue to strengthen its considerable in-house development and asset management expertise, positioning it for further growth.

Neil will be working with Simon Russian, the Head of Retail Development, in strategically managing and delivering LGP's significant pipeline of retail development projects, as well as working closely with both existing and new joint venture partners. Reporting ultimately to Gordon Aitchison, Director of Investment and Development, LGP's development team has a strong track record of delivering high quality office and retail schemes. In particular, on the retail side, it is currently progressing major town-centre retail and leisure regeneration projects in Bracknell, Eastbourne, Hounslow and Trowbridge, as well as a number of other addvalue opportunities across the LGP portfolio.

Neil joins from Hammerson, where he worked for the last four years as Development Manager, reporting to the Director of Retail Development, and was particularly involved in the Centrale and Whitgift Shopping Centres in Croydon, Queensgate Shopping Centre and the North West Gate extension in Peterborough, and various retail parks. Like Simon Russian, Neil previously worked at Wilson Bowden Developments.

Additionally he held former roles at Cyril Sweett, John Rowan & Partners, Goldsmiths Group and NEXT plc. He brings with him over 20 years' expertise in development and project management. Following on from the restructure of its senior management team at the end of last year, LGP undertook a focused business review of its retail and development teams, leading to the creation of two new key roles, of which this forms the first to be successfully filled. LGP continues to recruit for the second role, Head of Retail, who will report directly to Mike Barrie, Director of Fund Management. LGP's sector specialisms cross all facets of the real estate market and are regarded as a key differentiator from its peer group, providing its clients with a fully integrated fund platform with in-depth market knowledge.

Bill Hughes, Managing Director of Legal & General Property, said:
"This appointment reflects LGP's growing commitment to this area of our business over the next few years. Having already proven our ability to undertake and successfully deliver significant retail-led development projects, using our in-house specialist skills, we believe that this sector continues to offer up attractive opportunities for driving returns.

"As with the majority of our appointments over the last five years, we continue to handpick talented recruits from areas outside of the traditional fund management arena, favouring prop-cos and leading agencies for sourcing individuals who's skill sets complement and further deepen the existing wealth of in-house expertise that we hold across the platform."

Notes to editors Legal & General Property (LGP) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of Europe's largest institutional asset managers and a major global investor. LGIM manages approximately £381bn of assets on behalf of more than 3,300 clients (30 June 2012) and provides products and solutions spanning all asset classes. LGP is the third largest institutional property fund manager in the UK, managing or co-managing 16 separate funds or vehicles and two segregated mandates with an aggregate asset value of £10.4bn as at 30 June 2012.

These funds include:

Specialist Pooled Funds
The Leisure Fund Limited Partnership; Industrial Property Investment Fund; Arlington Business Parks Partnership; and the English Cities Fund

Single Asset Vehicles
Bracknell Regeneration Partnership; Central Saint Giles Partnership; Performance Retail Limited Partnership and Warrington Retail Limited Partnership

Balanced Funds
Life Fund; Linked Pensions; Linked Life; Managed Fund; Property Unit Trust; UK Property Income Fund; LPI Income Property Fund and the Hybrid Property Fund.

LGP's UK-focused fund management platform has built and retained a strong track record of out-performance across the sector. Owing to its size, diversity and penetration, it benefits from best in class banking and property industry contacts which, along with its wealth of in-house skill and expertise, have enabled it to continue to attract and secure high quality market opportunities. Taking a client-centric approach, the business places the highest priority upon integrity and transparency, leveraging upon the significant resources provided by the wider LGIM platform. Sector specialists cover each sphere of the market and are supported by LGP's market-leading research capability.

LGP's sector specialisms cross all facets of the real estate market. In particular, the Company has a major development platform, responsible for delivering the West End office market's latest landmark, Central Saint Giles, and currently involved in developing its high profile Covent Garden scheme, Agar Street, as well as significant town-centre retail and leisure regeneration projects, including Bracknell, Trowbridge, Northampton, Hounslow and Eastbourne.

For more information please contact:

Olivia Goodall
PR Manager

t: + 44 (0) 203 124 2777
m: + 44 (0) 7718 395 279
e: olivia.goodall@lgim.com


About Legal & General

Legal & General Property Limited.

Registered address:
One Coleman Street
London EC2R 5AA.
Registered in England 2091897.

User rating:

[Click a star to save your rating]

distributed by