The Shopping Centre industry is driven by people. It’s the skills and expertise of the people that manage, develop and evolve shopping centres for their communities that creates this great industry. Shopping Centre News profiles a range of interesting people from the industry each week. This week we speak to Alwin Bax from the Perron Group. The Perron Group is a privately owned Perth-based group of companies with major business activities in property investments and Toyota vehicle and auto parts distribution. It has ownership in some of the best performing ‘Big Gun‘ assets in the country including Broadway Sydney, Westfield Burwood, The Glen and Cockburn Gateway. Alwin is an Asset Manager for Perron’s retail and office properties.
What is your current role and main responsibilities?
As Asset Manager, my responsibilities cover both retail and office properties and involve the strategic direction of our assets, oversight of ongoing management, direction of leasing and management of refurbishment and development projects as they arise within the portfolio.
How did you get in to this industry?
I studied a Bachelor of Commerce with Majors in Finance and Property. As a student, I figured that the property industry provided an opportunity to apply a financial skillset in a tangible and relational environment. That has proven to be the case and I’m still very happy with that choice.
Tell us a little bit about your career
I started in the industry as a Property Manager at Knight Frank during my third year of studies. During the five years, the role involved industrial, CBD office and large format retail assets owned by a variety of private and institutional clients. It was a terrific grounding in property and offered great insight into the operational side of property but also to the strategic decision making of some skilled property investors.
I was keen to take on a role with a stronger focus on finance and had the opportunity to join Perron Group as an Asset Manager with an analytics component to the role. Seven years on, I’m still spending much of my time on the office assets but am also firmly entrenched in the retail side of the portfolio and enjoying the contrasts between these different ‘worlds’ within the same industry.
Mirrabooka Place
What do you love most about your job?
I love the diversity of activity and the interaction with solid operators within our broader team of property managers, leasing executives and consultants.
What do you least like about your job?
Having to part ways with failing retailers.
What motivates you?
Delivering a great experience to our customers – be they shoppers at our centres or office workers in our towers.
What makes a great Asset Manager?
The role is broad and can see you jumping from marketing strategy sessions to project control meetings to a capital transactions exercise within a morning. A good handle on property fundamentals along with strong financial acumen is important, and an ability to work on multiple tasks at any one time is handy.
What is your most memorable moment of your career?
An office building lobby I was tasked with refurbishing contained several artworks within the fabric of the internal walls. These pieces were taken for granted by most visitors and occupants in the building but highly valued by the arts community. Achieving the outcome needed from this refurbishment, whilst treating the artwork with due respect, was a huge challenge. Whilst this example doesn’t come from the retail world, there certainly were lessens applicable to the commissioning of public art in retail centres.
What has been your hardest career decision?
At an early point in my career I had intended to undertake a valuations traineeship. Deciding to forego that training and certification to pursue other opportunities was a hard call, but I have no regrets.
Central Park
What do you think makes a successful shopping centre?
A centre that fulfils the role of a town centre and is genuinely considered to be the hub of its community will be well positioned for growth.
Which in your opinion is the best example of a good shopping centre, retail precinct or place?
Within Australia – Chadstone, for obvious reasons. Abroad, I was very impressed with The Americana at Brand. You couldn’t transfer that American architecture to be relevant here in Australia, but the attention to detail is excellent and it feels like a genuine, vibrant village centre.
What are some of the trends you are seeing in the industry?
We are all seeing the increasing focus on the lifestyle offering of a centre. I like to think that there remains enormous scope for growth there, particularly in suburban areas where we often lack any form of main street or civic heart.
Did you think you would end up in the role you are in now?
I never thought I’d end up in the retail sector!
What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry?
Look for opportunities to broaden your skillset beyond your current role, be it through studies or different roles within your organisation.
What do you do in your leisure time to de-stress?
Spending time with my wife and three young kids is a priority, but I also squeeze in an early morning bike ride as often as I’m able.
What’s your favourite retailer and why?
Rapha. I’m not a regular customer myself, but I think they do an exceptionally good job of leveraging the heritage of cycling to market their relatively young brand and contemporary product design – much to the ire of the sport’s traditionalists but with great success in the market.
Do you like shopping?
Only if I’m on holidays.
What is the single most important quality you need to possess to be in this industry?
The ability to adapt to the broad range of tasks at hand.
What to be profiled? Contact Belinda belinda@shoppingcentrenews.com.au
