Lauren Holden Appointed Chief Operating Officer and Jessica Zaski Appointed Chief Transactions Officer
New Appointments Add Significant Operational, Transaction and Development Experience to ShopCore’s Leadership Team
Announces Plan to Integrate 52 Shopping Center Properties in High-Growth Southeastern Markets
Chicago, IL – September 6, 2022 – ShopCore Properties (“ShopCore”) today announced the appointments of Lauren Holden and Jessica Zaski to the newly established leadership positions of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Transactions Officer, respectively, effective immediately. Both will also hold the title of Executive Vice President.
Ms. Holden brings to ShopCore decades of experience acquiring, leading and managing large and diverse retail portfolios. Most recently, she served as Managing Director and Head of Retail Asset Management for Clarion Partners. In her new role as Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Holden will drive value creation at the asset level, overseeing leasing, development & construction, asset management and property management and will be closely involved with ShopCore’s sustainability initiatives.
Ms. Zaski brings over a decade of experience setting and executing investment strategies through the management of acquisitions teams for both public REITs and opportunity funds. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Acquisitions for Acadia Realty Trust. As Chief Transactions Officer, Ms. Zaski will oversee the Company’s acquisition and disposition efforts.
Ms. Holden and Ms. Zaski will join Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Jim Nakagawa on ShopCore’s executive leadership team, responsible for all strategic and operational matters for the Company. All three will report to Chief Executive Officer Marc Ricks.
“We are excited to expand our leadership team with seasoned leaders who have extensive experience acquiring and managing retail real estate. These appointments support ShopCore’s strategy to build a best-in-class retail operating platform with disciplined growth in key markets,” said Marc Ricks, ShopCore Chief Executive Officer.”
“I look forward to working with the entire ShopCore team to sustain and grow its shopping center portfolio, which serves a diverse group of best-in-class tenants, while creating value for the communities in which they operate,” said Ms. Holden.
“Ms. Zaski said, “I am excited to work with ShopCore’s experienced, forward-thinking team to help continue to build the premier shopping center company in the country.”
The Company also announced that it will manage 52 grocery-anchored shopping centers that Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust purchased through its previously announced acquisition of Preferred Apartment Communities. With the addition of these properties, ShopCore’s portfolio will comprise 108 properties, totaling nearly 20 million square feet, anchored by best-in-class retailers and located in high-growth markets.
Mr. Ricks continued, “The integration of this portfolio of 52 grocery-anchored centers marks a significant step in our journey to become the preeminent operator of community and grocery-anchored centers throughout the country. We seek to provide best-in-class support to tenants across these properties and grow these centers’ roles as pillars of their communities.”
About Lauren Holden
Ms. Holden joins ShopCore from Clarion Partners, a leading U.S. real estate investment manager, where she has served as an Equity Partner, Managing Director and Head of Retail Asset Management since 2014. At Clarion, she was responsible for overseeing the firm’s retail portfolio, comprising approximately 100 open-air neighborhood and community centers, prime urban retail, enclosed mall and mixed-use properties. She also served as a member of the Steering Committee of Clarion Partners Women’s Leadership Network, a member of Clarion’s Environmental Sustainability and Governance (ESG) committee, an Advisory Peer Group member to five separate accounts, and a Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Mentor. Prior to joining Clarion in 2014, Ms. Holden served as Executive Vice President, Investment Management and Acquisitions at Equity One, Inc., a publicly traded shopping center REIT that has since merged with Regency Centers. Prior to Equity One, Ms. Holden was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Kimco Realty. Ms. Holden currently serves on the Board of Directors for WX, Inc., an organization that promotes the advancement of women in commercial real estate.
About Jessica Zaski
Ms. Zaski joins ShopCore from Acadia Realty Trust, a publicly traded REIT that owns and operates shopping centers, street retail and mixed-use properties with retail components, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Acquisitions. In this role, she was responsible for managing the acquisitions team and setting and executing investment strategy for both the public REIT platform and the opportunity funds. During her tenure at Acadia, Ms. Zaski was involved in the acquisition and disposition of millions of square feet of open-air retail. Her experience includes building street retail portfolios in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, Williamsburg Brooklyn, Dallas’s Henderson Avenue, and Chicago’s Gold Coast, as well as acquiring stabilized and value-add street and urban retail, grocery anchored, and power centers in markets across the country. Prior to Acadia, Ms. Zaski worked in advertising and marketing, including roles at Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc, the largest privately held commercial building in the United States, and Starcom Worldwide, a world-renowned media communications agency.
About ShopCore
ShopCore, a Blackstone portfolio company, is a vertically integrated real estate company with internalized leasing, development, property management, legal, accounting, and asset management functions. Currently, ShopCore leases and manages more than 100 shopping centers, comprising nearly 20 million square feet across 17 states. For more information, visit shopcore.com.
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