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. In this special ‘Movers & Shakers’ feature published in SCN magazine, we speak with nine industry leaders about their career journey and experiences, and discuss some of the key trends and major challenges facing our industry. Here, we profile Antony Keenan, Chief Operating Officer, Haben. 

Tell us about your current role and main responsibilities

I’m currently Chief Operating Officer for Haben. I’m responsible for the overall operations of our business from people and culture and IT through to centre management, leasing, marketing, finance, risk, operations and development.

Haben has a fully integrated in-house management team to manage our portfolio of 12 shopping centres valued at more than $2 billion.

What do you love most about your job?

We have been on a rapid growth journey over the past few years and we expect to see that continue. I’ve really enjoyed bringing my diverse experiences from larger landlords to help our growing business evolve from management of neighbourhood centres to be able to manage super regional sized centres. This includes implementing a structure, processes and systems to ensure we have the right governance in place while remaining nimble and agile in our decision-making and operations.

Haben is unique for a private business with our fully integrated in-house management platform that we have built with a full breadth of capabilities.

Most of all, I love seeing our people grow and develop. Everyone in our business works well together to pitch in and help us continually improve and evolve. We have grown to more than 100 people and we have attracted some great talent from the industry.

How did you get started in retail property?

I have always been in retail throughout my career, starting from humble beginnings working behind the counter at my local KFC, to progressing into its head office in the mailroom then into marketing.

After KFC I then joined ALDI as an Area Manager when the company was relatively new to Australia. I was part of the team that launched the first stores into Queensland. I then progressed to the buying team responsible for a number of private label product categories, everything from canned goods to car accessories.

My shopping centre career then started with Westfield as a Retail Manager and progressed to Centre Manager in a variety of centres including Westfield Bondi Junction. I was also fortunate to spend time in Westfield’s BrandSpace Division.

I spent a number of years with GPT in a variety of roles such as Regional General Manager and Head of Optimisation. The Optimisation role gave me a great appreciation for efficiency, process improvement, change management and systems enhancements. Interestingly, I was involved in the redevelopment of Wollongong Central during my time at GPT, which is now again in my portfolio as it’s owned by Haben.

I joined AMP Capital as Group General Manager Property Management leading a variety of divisions for the portfolio of 21 centres across Australia and New Zealand. The majority of this time was during COVID, which was both challenging and rewarding at the same time.

The broad experiences I’ve been fortunate to have throughout the retail industry have led me to my current role at Haben.

Wollongong Central mixed use concept

Do you have any career highlights, proudest moments, favourite projects?

Some of my proudest moments have been leaving legacies at my previous employers around diversity and inclusion, which have always been in addition to my day jobs. I established the original First Nations program at Scentre Group and established the LGBTQ+ networks at both Scentre Group and GPT. I’m really proud to see those initiatives continue and thrive today.

What are some of the major challenges facing our industry?

The key challenge I see facing the industry at the moment is cost increases in general, which are impacting a number of areas such as operating expenses, construction costs for fit-outs and development works and squeezing retailer margins.

It means that we need to continually look at our strategies and to find ways to operate in a more cost efficient way.

What do you think makes a successful shopping centre?

I believe a successful shopping centre all comes back to meeting the needs of the community. That’s through having the right retail mix, providing a social connection, ensuring a great experience, providing the amenity they expect and making the journey as convenient as possible.

This all leads to more people visiting our centres to maximise sales.

What are some of the key trends you are seeing in the industry?

Some of the key trends facing the shopping centre industry at the moment I believe are positive. ESG strategies for asset management and responsible investment will continue to be a focus for the Haben team, while some may see this as a trend, this is now part of our day-to-day operations.

I think we will see continued strong population growth, there is likely to be a limited pipeline of new developments for some time, which will mean that we need to work to optimise our existing space.

Opportunities for mixed use and integration of retail and residential is becoming a greater focus for landlords to maximise the use of our properties, providing great synergies to the retail and services offerings.

I’m interested to see how Artificial Intelligence will impact the way we manage and lease our centres and the way people shop; we are only just scratching the surface here.

Cleveland Central mixed use concept

What excites you about the future of our industry?

The shopping centre industry is exciting because it is fast-paced and continually evolving. We are able to connect directly with local communities and make a difference in their lives. Each centre is like running a little city and you get exposure to so many different things that challenge and reward us.

Most of all we are able to provide great career opportunities with so many diverse ways that you can grow your career.

What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry?

Like most of us in the shopping centre industry, we live and breathe how dynamic it is and the opportunities it provides for career growth. My advice is to be curious; get involved in as many different projects as you can to understand the business.

Build your knowledge early in your career by deep diving into areas not in your area of expertise as this will give you a good foundation for the future.

Take the opportunity to get broad experiences in different divisions as it will set you up well for broader leadership roles in the future.

I’d also advise to really get to understand the customer as that is ultimately why we are here.

This Q&A profile of Antony Keenan forms part of SCN’s Movers & Shakers feature. Premium members can view the full series in the latest edition of SCN magazine.