News
News
The Merrion Centre becomes the ‘Mary-Ann’ Centre to celebrate International Women’s Day
Mon 04 Mar, 2019
The Merrion Centre, Leeds longest serving shopping centre has, for one week only re-branded to the ‘Mary-Ann’ Centre to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March.
This novel, new name kicks off from Monday 4th March with the re-brand taking over the shopping centres website, internal communication channels and social media channels, promoting tenant offers and championing female colleagues.
Following the appointment of Lynda Shillaw, Group Property Director for the centres owners Town Centre Securities (TCS) in November 2018, TCS now have a rare structure of five female colleagues making up its Merrion Asset Management Team. This includes Helen Green, Associate Director and two Asset Manager’s Vanessa McIntosh and Hattie Ramsden. The team is also supported by Assistant Asset Manager Esme Briggs on a 15-month university placement, which further showcases the company’s core strategy on driving development and a strong pipeline of female talent.
The team’s success is distinctly evident with the Merrion Centre continuing to experience a high number of new tenant openings against the backdrop of a tough high street environment; 7 new tenant openings in the last 5 months alone including international tea house Chatime, New York inspired independent pizza restaurant Union Square, and Japanese dinery, Blue Sakura. This flourishing team also remain a key cog in driving forward Merrion’s recent submission for a 17-storey office block and retail development above Central Square the continued phased regeneration of Leeds Arena Quarter district.
Accomplished females continue to be acknowledged across the wider business with several women in other senior roles, including Charlotte-Daisy Leeming who is head of CSR for TCS and who raised almost £145,000 for the company’s core charities in 2017-18 and Stephanie McCann, Facilities Manager at the Merrion Centre; whose team was recently recognised at the recent Business Against Crime in Leeds Awards in winning Best Day Time Security
Edward Ziff, Chairman and Chief Executive of TCS said: “We’re incredibly proud to recognise the achievements of women across all areas of our business and unveil our new ‘Mary-Ann’ brand in honour of International Women’s Day. This initiative builds on our mission to work collectively with tenants to inspire shoppers in innovative ways to attract customers to the burgeoning Arena Quarter area of Leeds, whilst also showcasing our commitment to championing diversity across the retail and property industry”.
#InternationalWomensDay
#IWD19
#MaryAnnCentre
*Source: rics.org.uk