The International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) and Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC) have announced the appointment of David Macadam as its new CEO and vice chairman for the Mena region.

The MECSC and ICSC is the authoritative regional trade body representing the shopping centre industry in the Mena region. Its role locally is to support, promote and develop the industry largely through advanced education programmes.

The organisation provides an all-encompassing forum for professionals in the industry through its globally certified education programmes, exchange of ideas, sharing of knowledge and networking while focusing on establishing global best practices in the industry.

“We are very excited to further our leadership role in the shopping centre industry in the Mena region. We look forward to raising the profile of the industry in our region where shopping is a recreational event, a leisure activity, a family pastime, a tourist attraction and a social opportunity,” Macadam said.  

“Through working with the many governmental organisations, academic institutions, shopping centre owners and professionals, retailers, marketing people, architects, contractors, we will bring them to the next level in this region in terms of their understanding of what opportunities are available in the industry and what we can do to assist them.”

Macadam has completed projects totalling $5.2 billion in Canada and the Middle East, the statement said. He has held senior executive shopping centre industry roles in leasing, mall design, feasibility, creation and implementation of merchandise mixes based on catchment demographics, as well as financial analysis for project viability.

Some of the most iconic projects Macadam has had direct input in the Gulf region include The Dubai Mall, The Dubai Marina Mall as Executive Vice President with Emaar and Dubai Festival City with Al Futtaim.

Through hands on experience in the region in the past nine years he has worked with over 40 other shopping centre owners in the region as regional director and head of retail with the international property advisor Jones Lang LaSalle.

“An interest, maturity and understanding of the shopping centre industry exists amongst the local population in each respective country in the region, all of which motivates and enables them to work in the industry in the near future,” he added.

A key area of focus that requires attention in the region according to Macadam is an increased awareness of the opportunities in industry, which is brought forward through education. “The more educated the owners, managers and people associated with the industry are, the more they are able to accommodate the requests, requirements and needs of the shoppers while successfully growing the industry.”

The ICSC and MECSC hold a number of educational programmes throughout the year, which provides powerful tools, and information that can be applied immediately when participants return to their work.

The organisation hosts a five-day intensive programme from June 9 to 13 for retail real estate industry professionals from the John T Riordan Global School for Professional Development in Dubai, to further develop the skills of individuals in the industry, while ensuring continued success for the future.

“Education remains our primary focus with the ICSC and the MECSC. We have made great strides in winning the support of the higher education institutions. The regional governments are motivated to ensure the youth in the region are well educated in the industry. Our organisation is focused on ensuring high standards of education are delivered consistently throughout the region to ensure the health of the industry remains robust," Macadam concluded. – TradeArabia News Service