URW appoints new chief executive

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is to replace chief executive Christophe Cuvillier following a shareholder revolt against plans for a €3.5bn (£3.1bn) equity issue. The firm has appointed its US president and chairman of its Dutch-listed business Jean-Marie Tritant as its new group chief executive. Tritant will assume the role at the beginning of January and in the interim will hold the role of group chief operating officer. He will also become chairman of the French-listed REIT, having resigned from his role as chairman of the Dutch-listed business. Dominic Lowe, executive vice president for development in the US for URW, has been appointed as chief operating officer for the US and chairman of the Dutch-listed REIT. Léon Bressler, chairman of URW SE, said he was “convinced” Tritant could lead the company successfully. Cuvillier added: “During this transition phase, I will work as always to protect the group and help it go through this major crisis. I wish every success in his new position to Jean-Marie Tritant, with whom I have worked for close to 10 years. “I wish that the group continues to nurture its spirit of innovation and pursues an ambition commensurate with the quality of its teams and assets.” Tritant said: “URW is an exceptional company that I joined more than 20 years ago and is leader in its sector. I know that I can count on the group’s teams, their talent and their energy. “I would like to commend the tireless work accomplished by Christophe Cuvillier at the helm of URW since 2013 and his commitment to ensure a smooth transition as from today.”   To send feedback, e-mail louise.dransfield@egi.co.uk or tweet @DransfieldL or @estatesgazette