Liverpool One imports its first chief from Ireland
20 Apr 2007
THE woman tasked with ensuring Belfast shoppers were not lured to spend their cash in rival Dublin has been appointed to run Grosvenors 1bn pound Paradise Street development.
Joanne Jennings is to be the chief executive of Liverpool One, the name given by Grosvenor to Europe’s biggest city centre regeneration project, which opens next year.
She is currently chief executive of Belfast City Centre management company, and is expected to begin her new role in Liverpool this June.
Miss Jennings, who has 15 years of experience in urban regeneration in Northern Ireland, her home country, is preparing to rise to the challenge of “living and breathing Liverpool One” as it takes shape in the city centre.
Her responsibilities will include driving the image of Liverpool One, making it a best in class shopping and leisure destination, along with providing strategic leadership and direction to the management team.
Last night, Miss Jennings said: “I am very much looking forward to taking up the role of chief executive of Liverpool One, particularly at a time when Liverpool is gearing itself up to be Capital of Culture in 2008. With my background in public/private sector partnership working I will be seeking to work fully with Liverpool City Council and the other key stakeholders to ensure that Liverpool One realises its potential to help regenerate this great city.”
Grosvenor director Mervyn Howard said: “Joanne comes with a reputation for getting things done and has managed to achieve a real cohesion between the private and public sectors in Belfast. This ability will be crucial in helping Liverpool achieve its potential.
“We look forward to welcoming her to the Liverpool One family and are confident that she will become the personification of all that Liverpool One stands for.”
Rod Holmes, the project director for the Paradise Street project, said: “I am delighted that Joanne is coming on board and I look forward to working with her to ensure a smooth transition into a successful opening year.”
Miss Jennings’s career began at the Phoenix Trust, an investment promotion agency in Belfast, set up to attract inward investment in the city from hi-tech US businesses.
In 1999, she became business development director of the newly-formed Belfast City Centre Management Company. Soon after, she was appointed chief executive with responsibility for 1.5m sq ft of retail space in the city.
by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post
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