Intu appoints James Saunders as new chief people officer

British shopping centre owner Intu has appointed Vodafone’s former head of HR James Saunders as chief people officer of its executive team.

As part of Intu’s five-year strategy, Saunders has taken on the newly-created role to lead the company’s employee experience, as well as to attract and retain talent within the business.

In the past, aside from his former position at Vodafone, Saunders held senior roles within HR and transformation teams at Nationwide Building Society.

“The chief people officer role is a key appointment within the smaller and more focused executive team,” said Matthew Roberts, Intu’s chief executive in a statement. “Our people are fundamental to delivering Intu’s strategy and putting the performance of Intu’s rent-paying customers and our centres at the heart of the business.”

“I want Intu to have the best talent in the industry and be a place where people do the best work of their careers,” Saunders added.

Earlier this month, David Hargrave was appointed as chief restructuring officer to help the company through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Photo credit: Intu Group