McArthurGlen appoints chief brand officer

Designer outlet company, the McArthurGlen Group has named Shaeren McKenzie as its chief brand officer, a newly created role to focus the retail group’s consumer proposition.

McKenzie, who has been the group marketing director and a member of its executive team since 2009, will now focus on developing McArthurGlen’s consumer proposition, working closely with the company’s luxury and fashion brand partners, and developing and amplifying its global brand narrative to all consumer and business-to-business audiences.

Julia Calabrese, chief executive officer of McArthurGlen Group, said: “While the appeal of affordable luxury has never been stronger, our marketplace continues to evolve rapidly. One of the ways our board is responding is with the creation of this new role.

“Shaeren has a deep appreciation of our customers. She knows how to communicate with them. She understands how we should evolve our customer proposition, in all our markets and across all platforms. Shaeren will be key to us driving continued growth and success for our business and our brand partners.”

McKenzie added: “The opportunity for growth for our business and our partners makes this a truly exhilarating role. McArthurGlen’s proposition has huge resonance with both our brand partner and consumer audiences, which is driving our expansion in more mature markets such as the UK and Italy, as well as in new territories.”

This appointment comes at a time of rapid growth for McArthurGlen, which opened Europe’s first designer outlet in the UK in 1995 and now operates 24 centres in nine countries. The company will enter its 10th market when it opens the first designer outlet in the south of Spain, which recently began construction.

In addition, it is currently expanding two of its existing centres in the UK - Cheshire Oaks near Manchester, which is the country’s largest designer outlet, and Ashford, while the seventh British centre, a new 160 million pound development in Cannock in the West Midlands will break ground soon.