# Intu Properties PLC Appoint Matthew Roberts as Chief Executive

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/intu-properties-plc-appoint-of-matthew-roberts-as-chief-executive/412771283
- Published: 2019-04-04T07:25:24+01:00
- Author: Charlotte Edwards

**Intu Properties PLC** (LON:INTU), the largest owner and manager of prime shopping
centres in the UK, today announced the appointment of Matthew Roberts as Chief Executive
with effect from Monday 29 April 2019. Matthew will succeed David Fischel who will
be standing down from the Board and leaving intu on Friday 26 April 2019.

The Board has appointed Matthew following a rigorous search process which included
a number of first-class internal and external candidates. Having been Chief Financial
Officer of intu since May 2010, Matthew has excellent real estate and retail experience
and detailed knowledge of intu’s affairs. He is therefore well placed to drive intu’s
winning destinations strategy which includes adapting fast to the changing retail
environment, delivering strong underlying individual centre performance and making
smart use of capital, including plans to reduce intu’s debt to assets ratio to below
50 per cent through disposals, part-disposals and introducing partners to assets.
Matthew has a strong track record at intu of successfully recycling capital, with
over £1 billion of assets having been sold since he joined intu.

Prior to joining intu, Matthew was CFO of Gala Coral from 2004 to 2008, leading 
the acquisition of Coral which resulted in the business becoming the UK’s largest
private equity owned company at the time. Prior to this, he was Finance Director
of Debenhams, managing the company’s successful IPO in 1998 and sale in 2003, and
also held senior roles at Top Shop/Top Man and The Burton Group.

David has been with the Group since 1985, and Chief Executive since 2001, a period
which has included transformative events such as the demerger of Capital & Counties
in 2010, the intu Trafford Centre transaction in 2011 and the rebranding as intu
in 2013. He has played a major role in intu becoming the UK’s leading owner, developer
and manager of large scale regional shopping centres with £9 billion of assets.

> **John Strachan, Chairman of intu, said:** “David’s substantial contribution to
> intu’s affairs over many years has been outstanding and he will be greatly missed
> by the Board and all of intu’s staff. I would like to extend my personal gratitude
> to David for continuing to steer the Group for a longer period than was originally
> intended until we had completed our succession process. David will leave intu 
> with our very best wishes.
> Matthew has been an exceptional CFO at intu. This, combined with his extensive
> and relevant experience, including his proven expertise in leading strategic transformation
> projects, means he is absolutely the right person to lead this business going 
> forward.”

A formal process to recruit a new Chief Financial Officer will commence imminently
which will include external and internal candidates. In the meantime, the position
will be filled on a temporary basis from intu’s Finance team under Matthew’s supervision.

Disclosure required under S430(2B) of the Companies Act 2006 in respect of David’s
employment and remuneration can be found on intu’s website www.intugroup.co.uk. 
Further information about Matthew Roberts is set out in the note below.

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