Regeneration specialist U+I has appointed Craig White from Argent to be its new director of content.
White has led Argent’s retail division for the past five years, managing the leasing of 500,000 sq ft, hand-picking brands and operators, with a special project focus on Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, where occupiers include the Nike Central store, 18Montrose concept store, Spiritland’s music listening space and Carhartt’s Special Projects store, Work In Progress.
Prior to this, White spent five years at the Crown Estate as retail business development manager for its Regent Street and St James’s portfolios.
In his new role, White will oversee content at U+I, “with a focus on helping its sites come to life through localised retail opportunities and community-led projects”, said the company, and in doing so he will “apply his specialist knowledge of consumer-focused experiences and emerging retail trends to activate U+I’s projects for the benefit of local communities and create a world-class legacy”.
White’s appointment follows Martyn Evans rejoining the firm as creative director last week after three years.
White said: “Right now, in cities across the UK and Ireland, everything at street level is up for discussion, so it’s a privilege to join the innovative and ambitious team at U+I and be at the forefront of that debate. It’s a debate about content; about challenging the norms, questioning the role of our civic centres, and the future of retail, work, play, make and do. U+I has an inspired vision, delivering ingenious development; creating vibrant and sustainable places that respect the past and embrace the future with partnerships and collaboration. I’m excited to be part of that future.”
Richard Upton, deputy chief executive at U+I, added: “We have been quietly collecting an incredible pipeline of world-class regeneration projects which deserve the best-in-class team to unlock the potential future benefit of local communities. Craig is the most talented person in the industry, having delivered world-leading destinations at the Crown Estate and for Argent at King’s Cross.
“To say we are excited that he has chosen to join U+I would be a mild understatement. At U+I, we’re relentlessly focused on unlocking the potential of our places for the benefit of local communities. Not just once they’re fully built, but from the day we get the keys to the site. Ultimately, we want to create great places that bring long-lasting change for local people and businesses, and for our partners.”
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