British Property Federation appoints new retail board chair
The British Property Federation (BPF) has appointed Morgan Garfield, head of capital partnerships at NewRiver, as chair of the BPF Retail Board.
He replaces the departing Allan Lockhart, the CEO of NewRiver.
Garfield is one of the co-founders of investment management firm Ellandi, and helped grow the business over 16 years to have over 30 shopping centres under its management before its acquisition by NewRiver in July 2024.
During his career, Garfield has been involved in the acquisition and management of shopping centres across the UK, ranging from local community centres to major retail destinations. He has worked with a variety of stakeholders, including investors, debt providers, local authorities, occupiers, and community groups.
In his new position as chair, Garfield will promote the investment case for UK retail to a broad audience of investors and stakeholders, and advocate for government policy that facilitates investment in real estate.
He will also continue to advocate for the BPF’s calls for business rates reform and an amended Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to streamline the commercial leasing process, support the decarbonisation of buildings, and enable empty and underutilised space in town centres to be repurposed.
Morgan Garfield said: “I am honoured to take on the role of chair of the BPF Retail Board. Our high streets, town centres and shopping centres are the lifeblood of the economy and our local communities. We have seen huge structural changes, that were accelerated by Covid, and retail is now at an inflection point. Retailers and consumers increasingly appreciate the value of physical shops in an omni-channel environment – and communities and government appreciate the value of place within our towns and cities. This creates an opportunity to invest, to curate and to shape vibrant retail places that will help drive long-term societal and economic prosperity.
“This is an exciting time in retail property and I look forward to communicating this to investors and stakeholders. It is also critical that the BPF and its members help shape a policy and regulatory environment that encourages investment and delivers vibrant towns, jobs and places that people want to live, shop and socialise.”
Other BPF Retail Board members include: M&G Real Estate, Landsec, Aberdeen, Pepper Media, Hammerson, Cadogan Estates, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, British Land, CBRE and Shaftesbury Capital.