Change in leadership at Chinook Centre
Terry Napper, who oversaw two multi-million-dollar redevelopments at Chinook Centre in recent years, is no longer the shopping mall’s general manager.
No reason was given for Napper’s departure. Cadillac Fairview, owner of the mall, declined a Herald interview request. Napper was unavailable.
Napper’s departure comes as the mall prepares for the arrivals of major U.S. retailers Target, to open in May 2013, and Nordstrom, which plans a fall 2014 debut.
Cadillac Fairview, in a statement, said: “As of Dec. 7, Terry Napper has departed his role as general manager of Chinook Centre. Over the course of Terry’s 33-year career he has been a hardworking, loyal, dedicated and visionary real estate professional. We thank Terry for his dedication, commitment and contributions to Chinook Centre and Cadillac Fairview. Terry will be missed and we genuinely wish him success in his future undertakings.”
In the interim, Cam Gresko will be acting general manager at Chinook.
Napper was general manager at Chinook since 1994. During his tenure, the mall grew to be one of the most productive centres in the country related to retail sales. Big American retailers such as Apple, Tiffany & Co. and Victoria’s Secret were added to the retail mix.
In September, Chinook Centre completed a $277-million expansion. Cadillac Fairview has also announced plans for a future one-million-square-foot mixed-use expansion.
Retail analyst Michael Kehoe compared Napper to Capt. James T. Kirk of Star Trek fame — steady at the helm and in charge with a feel for the human side of the mall business.
“Retail real estate management is a fast-paced, demanding and team-oriented field and Terry Napper will always be remembered as a respected leader, the captain of the ship,” said Kehoe.
“The (Chinook Centre) property has reached its pinnacle as one of Canada’s finest regional shopping cen- tres under the careful watch of Terry Napper.”
Kehoe said Napper’s professional legacy will be the many shopping centre management and marketing professionals he trained and mentored over the years. “Often sought out by recruiters to manage malls from Dallas to Dubai, we were fortunate that Terry stayed in Calgary,” he said.
In the fall, Napper said the addition of high-profile American retailers Target and Nordstrom to Chinook Centre will push annual retail sales at the mall to nearly $1 billion within a couple of years.
Before the last expansion, total annual sales were about $480 million for the entire shopping centre. At the end of August, the rolling 12-month sales for all stores at Chinook totalled $720 million.
“Calgary is starting to reach that global level in terms of retail exposure,” said Napper in the fall. “There will be more global retailers opening in Chinook than I think Calgary has ever dreamed of.”