A trustee of the board of the International Council of Shopping Centres, Watt says Retail Xpressions aims to maximise retail opportunities.

“It will draw on the experiences of a select team associated with some of the major retail developments in Southern Africa over the last few decades as well as new projects in the Middle East and India. 

“These include award-winning multi-million greenfields projects such as Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga and The Zone @ Rosebank, Johannesburg as well as redevelopments at  Menlyn Park Shopping  Centre, Pretoria, and Cavendish Square, Cape Town. “

Watt says Retail Xpressions’ services will include project conceptualisation, revitalisation, tenant mix, site identification and disposal and tracking trends.

Watt who was appointed to drive international operations at Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments (OMIGPI) after serving as managing director, says he will be retaining links with developments in India and will continue to serve on the boards of property-owning and service companies as a non-executive independent director.

Ben Kodisang, managing director of OMIGPI, says Watt’s operational responsibilities in international business will be re-integrated into business development under Brent Wiltshire, property management under Yacoob Latiff, institutional property investment under Colin Young, and international relations under Sue Tosh as head of stakeholder relations.