Montagu Evans appoints L&G retail head to launch new development management capability

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has launched a new development management capability, appointing Legal & General’s former head of retail Simon Russian to lead its team in this area

Joining the firm as Partner, Simon was previously responsible for retail development activity within Legal & General, progressing extensions to shopping centres in the Midlands and South of England as well as delivering the award-winning redevelopment of Bracknell town centre, The Lexicon. He also delivered a number of new developments and refurbishments within Legal & General’s retail and leisure park portfolio.

The appointment follows Andrew Haughey joining the partnership in June last year to head up its asset management arm following a 24-year tenure at Capital & Regional, latterly as Retail Development Director. The asset management team now has around £500m of property under management and mandates by four clients to spend another £100m+ on diversified assets.

Together these development and asset management capabilities will further assist Montagu Evans’ public and private sector clients with major regeneration projects, bringing in the firm’s agency, investment, valuation, rating and management specialists where needed. Current clients include Surrey Heath, Sedgemoor, Teignbridge, Cherwell and Shropshire, the London Boroughs of Bexley and Lewisham and the City of London, as well as Aberdeen Standard, CBRE Global Investors, LaSalle Investment Management and Legal & General.

Alan Harris, Partner at Montagu Evans and head of its town centre team, said: “With the retail sector undergoing seismic changes and town centres needing wide-reaching solutions, our clients are looking for support that can stretch from repositioning and restructuring to the delivery of new space and repurposing of existing assets.

“We now have the team in place to meet these needs. Simon and Andy bring first-hand, client-side leadership for the local authority base that has been a key focus for our town centre team and to institutional clients looking for better solutions in this challenging area, both in and out of town.”