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Placed to meet you! The placemaking industry and retail industries are rarely static. And right now, they are clearly in motion. Many professionals have recently taken on new roles, responsibilities, and challenges. Moves that rarely are just personal career steps. Because placemaking runs as much on experience as on vision and new responsibilities are always connected with new perspectives and new momentum.
In this overview we present the people who are ready to take the next steps. People you will be hearing from, working with, and talking about as placemaking continues to transform in 2026.
NEPI Rockcastle appointed COO Marek Noetzel as CEO
NEPI Rockcastle has decided to appoint Marek Noetzel as its designated CEO, effective 1 April 2026. Noetzel was confirmed as the company’s permanent COO in June 2022 and is responsible for its operations across 60 properties in eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
He will succeed NEPI Rockcastle’s current CEO, Rüdiger Dany. During his four-year mandate, Rüdiger Dany has made a significant contribution to the Group, particularly in driving growth through transformational acquisitions, enhancing the balance sheet, and delivering consistent year-on-year returns (with a rise in the distributable earnings per share of 75% from 34.42 euro cents at the beginning of his mandate to 60.17 euro cents in 2024).
Marius Barbu appointed as COO of NEPI Rockcastle
NEPI Rockcastle NV, Europe’s third largest listed retail real estate company by portfolio value, has appointed Marius Barbu as Chief Operating Officer (COO) with effect from 1st April 2026, to succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate.
Barbu has also been nominated as a Board Director and will stand for election at the next AGM to be held in May 2026. Mr Barbu is currently NEPI Rockcastle’s Group Asset Management Director and has over 25 years of experience in asset management, real estate and retail.
Barbu joined the Group in 2012 and was appointed as Group Asset Management Director in June 2022, leading strategic operational priorities, business transformation, marketing and property management. With over 13 years of experience within the Group, Mr Barbu has consistently expanded his oversight of portfolios, from the country level in Romania, to eight geographies across Central and Eastern Europe.
Vincent Rouget appointed CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has appointed Vincent Rouget, currently Chief Strategy & Investment Officer and acting COO Europe, as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Management Board. The decision, taken by the Supervisory Board on October 23, 2025, accelerates the Group’s succession plan and reflects URW’s full recovery, strong operating performance and the momentum generated by the ‘A Platform for Growth’ 2025–28 business plan.
Rouget will succeed Jean-Marie Tritant, who has led URW since 2021 and will oversee the transition through year-end. Tritant, pictured alongside his successor, is credited with reshaping the Group during a challenging period and restoring growth. As part of the leadership update, Anne-Sophie Sancerre’s remit expands to include COO Europe from January 2026, while Sylvain Montcouquiol and Fabrice Mouchel continue in their roles.
Kathleen Verelst appointed as CIO of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Following the election of Vincent Rouget as futire CEO, during its meeting on December 3, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Supervisory Board appointed Kathleen Verelst as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and a member of the URW Management Board – recommended by the Group’s Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (“GNRC”). The new appointment comes into effect on January 1, 2026.
Kathleen has more than 30 years of global real estate experience, working for a leading international investment bank and law firms across diverse asset classes and markets.
Between 2021 and 2024, she served as a senior advisor to URW’s Supervisory and Management Boards in relation to the Group’s successful deleveraging strategy, supporting on the divestment of 17 US assets for a total value of $3.3 Bn.
Christine Hager joined Management Board of Sonae Sierra Germany
Christine Hager has been appointed to the management board of Sierra Germany GmbH with immediate effect, succeeding Jorge Morgadinho. A seasoned executive and real estate expert, Hager has been part of the leadership team since Sonae Sierra took over the property management division in 2022, and she reports directly to the executive board of Sonae Sierra in Portugal.
Before joining Sonae Sierra, Hager served for seven years as Managing Director at the Redos Group in Hamburg. Her previous roles include senior leadership positions at Jones Lang LaSalle, where she oversaw shopping center management in Germany and Austria as well as retail asset management. Since 2018, she has chaired the board of the German Council of Shopping Places (GCSP), and since 2021, she has served as Vice-Chair of the European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP). In 2021, she was named “Manager of the Year” by Immobilien Manager magazine.
“Sonae Sierra’s operations in Germany are defined by professionalism, resilience, and a strong focus on values and the future,” said Cristina Santos, Executive Director Property Management at Sonae Sierra. “Christine Hager is one of our top executives. Her performance in both operational management and strategic leadership has been outstanding. Appointing her to the management board of Sierra Germany GmbH reflects our vision to further strengthen Sonae Sierra’s presence in the German market.”
José Carlos Gracia becomes Facility Management Director of NEINVER
NEINVER has announced the appointment of José Carlos Gracia as the company’s new Facility Management Director. In his new role, he will report directly to Eduardo Ceballos, Asset Management Director.
José Carlos Gracia will lead the Facility Management area, ensuring the smooth operation of the assets, the efficiency of the installations, and the quality of the service across the 21 centres managed by the company in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland.
Gracia began his professional career as a Construction Project Manager and, since 2013, has built a solid track record in the field of Facility Management in companies such as ISS Facility Services and CBRE GWS, where he led business units for major clients across different sectors in the role of Business Unit Director.
Malte Wallschläger takes over as Head of Asset Management Europe at Union Investment
Malte Wallschläger will take over as Head of Asset Management Europe at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH, Hamburg, on 1 January 2026. He will succeed Cathrin Schwartz, who has successfully managed this division for 13 years and will retire on 1 March 2026 after 21 years with the company.
Malte Wallschläger joins from HIH Real Estate, where he was Head of International Asset Management Teams in Hamburg, Amsterdam, London, Warsaw, and Vienna, responsible for a globally diversified real estate portfolio in eleven countries. From 2011 to 2020, the Hamburg native worked at Union Investment, where his responsibilities included serving as senior portfolio manager for two open-ended public real estate funds. The graduate in business administration and real estate economics (ADI) is a professional member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and was appointed a Fellow (FRICS) in 2025.
In his new role at Union Investment as Head of Department, Malte Wallschläger is responsible for the asset management of currently around 100 properties in the office, logistics, high-street retail and residential segments with a volume of approximately €12.0 billion. The portfolio falling within Wallschläger’s area of responsibility currently spans 14 European markets.
METRO AG extended Contracts of Management Board led by CEO Steffen Greubel
The Supervisory Board of METRO AG has extended the contracts of all members of the Management Board until 31 December 2030 ahead of schedule.
The members of the current and future Management board are:
- Dr. Steffen Greubel, CEO METRO AG
- Christiane Giesen, COO and Labour Director METRO AG
- Eric Riegger, CFO METRO AG
- Guillaume Deruyter, Chief Customer and Merchandise Officer METRO AG
Dr. Steffen Greubel has been Chairman of the Management Board of METRO AG (CEO) since 1 May 2021. Christiane Giesen has been a member of the Management Board of METRO AG since 15 September 2022, initially as Labour Director, and since 1 June 2024 also as Chief Operating Officer.
Eric Riegger has been a member of the Management Board as Chief Financial Officer since 1 February 2024, and Guillaume Deruyter has been appointed to the Management Board as Chief Customer & Merchandise Officer on 1 June 2024.
Equilis appointed Laurent Tirot as CEO of the European Group
Equilis Europe announces the appointment of Laurent Tirot as Chief Executive Officer of the group, effective November 1st, 2025. He succeeds Olivier Beguin, who will accompany the transition with the teams until early 2026.
Having joined Equilis in 2021 to head the French subsidiary, Laurent Tirot quickly united his teams around ambitious goals and a shared vision. Under his leadership, Equilis France has become a key growth driver for the group, recognized for its ability to combine performance, creativity and collective spirit.
Aldi Nord welcomes Nicolás de Lope as CEO
As of January 1, 2026, Nicolás de Lope will assume the role of CEO at Aldi Nord in Essen. He succeeds Torsten Hufnagel, who is leaving the company for personal reasons. De Lope has been part of the Aldi Nord Group since 2014 and previously served as country head in Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany. In 2023, he was appointed to the Group Executive Board.
His position on the Executive Board will be taken over by Felix Rottmann, who has so far been responsible for the Germany business. CFO Marcus Droste will remain a member of the three-person executive leadership team.
Torsten Hufnagel has been with Aldi Nord since 1997 and played a key role in shaping the company’s development.
Or Ackerman appointed as CEO of G City Europe
On September 8, Or Ackerman took over as CEO of G City Europe, replacing Eshel Pesti, who had been with the company for the past two years.
Ackerman joined G City Group in 2019 and most recently served as Group CFO, where he was responsible for improving financial performance, developing capital market initiatives, and overseeing strategic investments. With his extensive experience in the commercial sector, his leadership and vision will guide G City Europe to the next stage of growth and value creation.
Ackerman is a qualified CPA, holds an MBA with a specialization in financial management.
Redevco appointed Séverine Maumy as Head of Asset & Transaction Management
Redevco has appointed Séverine Maumy as Head of Asset & Transaction Management effective August 25, 2025. This appointment marks another milestone in Redevco’s growth strategy, strengthening the platform’s capabilities across the full real estate lifecycle. It coincides with a phase of strategic expansion in the retail parks and logistics space, alongside the advancement of Redevco’s proprietary development pipeline.
Séverine is based in Paris, joins Redevco’s Leadership Team and Investment Committee, and reports directly to Neil Slater, CEO Redevco. She leads a team of dedicated transactions, asset management and sustainability individuals across Europe.
Francesca Bellettini appointed as CEO and President of Gucci
The French group Kering plans on restructuring their previous strategy and methodology in order to address the declining sales rates Kering is currently facing.
Working for Kering for more than 20 years, the appointment of Francesca Bellettini will bring about the stat of a new chapter Gucci.
About Francesca Bellettini
Francesca Bellettini joined Kering in 2003 as Strategic Planning Director and Associate Worldwide Merchandising Director of Gucci. In 2008, she joined Bottega Veneta and became Worldwide Merchandising and Communications Director in 2010. In 2013, she became President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Laurent. In September 2023, Francesca Bellettini was appointed Kering Deputy CEO in charge of Brand Development. Prior to joining Kering, Francesca Belletini, who started her career in London as an investment banker, worked for the Business Planning and Development division of the Prada group, and later became Operations Manager for Helmut Lang.
As Luca de Meo, Chief Executive Officer of Kering, states in a press release, he intends to “build a leaner and clearer organization, in which the best talent drive our houses forward. Gucci, as the flagship of our group, deserves the sharpest focus, and Francesca – one of the most seasoned and respected professionals in our industry – will bring the leadership and flawless execution needed to restore the brand to its rightful place”
