Cushman & Wakefield has appointed retail strategist Paul Durkin as Head of UK Retail. Durkin joins from Asda, where he was Senior Director of Strategy, to lead a team focused on delivering advisory services to clients operating in a sector evolving at unprecedented pace.
Prior to joining Asda, one of Britain’s largest supermarket brands, Durkin held senior strategy positions at multinational brewing and beverage company SABMiller, FTSE 100-listed Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc and global management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company. He starts work at Cushman & Wakefield in June.
George Roberts, Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of UK & Ireland, said: “Cushman & Wakefield has retail in its DNA which is why we are really excited about Paul joining us. He brings a potent combination of first-hand insight of working for two of the country’s largest retailers in Asda and Morrisons combined with an advisory background formed at McKinsey.
“Paul is uniquely qualified to help us deliver value-adding solutions to investor and occupier clients looking to enhance performance at a time of unprecedented change in the retail sector. He will head up our market leading team of capital markets, leasing, occupier representation and development specialists who are proud to advise investors and occupiers on the country’s preeminent retail schemes and assets.”
Paul Durkin, Cushman & Wakefield’s incoming Head of UK Retail, said: “The ever-evolving retail sector is challenging established business models and the lines are being increasingly blurred between the ways we work, live, socialise and consume. As such, strategies to succeed in this sector need to adapt to these factors, whether you are an established or upcoming retail brand, developer or investor. I very much look forward to leading the retail team at Cushman & Wakefield and building on the enormous depth and breadth of expertise already available.”
The recruitment of Durkin to run Cushman & Wakefield’s UK retail team follows several other senior appointments supporting its strategic emphasis on advisory, alongside traditional transactional, services.
Former Kingfisher PLC’s Group Property Manager Tim Crighton has joined to provide specialist retail supply chain and logistics advice to clients. The firm also hired the team behind leading independent investment advisor Coady Supple – Robin Coady, Dermot Supple and David Sadler – to advise shopping centre owners and investors on their assets. Other recent arrivals include Peter Hutton as Head of Retail in Scotland and Andrew Marshall and Duncan Gilliard as Partners specialising in retail investment and London leasing respectively.
George Roberts added: “We have supplemented our market-leading talent with new colleagues who bring additional skills and perspectives at a time when clients are quite rightly leaning on us to deliver first class insight. The instructions we are winning and the projects we are executing are testament to our approach.”