RETAIL /ADVISORS
“I have worked with Chris for over a decade and have always found him to be an excellent advisor, considered in his approach and proactive when it comes to making things happen. Chris is a great example of an advisor who understands both investor and retailer and works with both parties to create win-win opportunities.”
Rebeca Guzman Vidal, Group Head of Retail Strategy, Chelsfield Group, London, UK
“There are many people who talk and leave no prints, there are a few who teach things one will remember and there are even fewer who have the gift to inspire. Is it because of his past experiences in Retail real estate spent at world renown companies or because of his multicultural approach to human and Retail diversity, but Chris falls into this last category of people who drives your mind to new ways of thinking, enhancing innovation and nurturing positive approaches to an ever-changing environment.”
Christian Dubois, International Partner, Head of Retail Services, Cushman & Wakefield, Paris, France
“Chris’ vast experience, knowledge and strategic vision provide him a tremendous background that make him a leading advisor in the retail field. That same background, combined with excellent presentation skills, make him a most effective speaker, capable of delivering a strong message and making an impact in the audience. Attendees will leave with a sense of value added to their knowledge.”
Rafael Pelote, Head of Research, Sonae Sierra, Lisbon, Portugal
“Chris Igwe is somebody who I have always found it a pleasure to do business with. He has a long experience of the real business and this experience enables him to put forward ideas and help solve problems in a positive way.
As a speaker, Chris is impressive. His style of delivery is lucid and to the point. He focuses on creative ideas and on winning strategies and it is evident that retail is something about which feels passionately. His enthusiastic grasp of the creative process behind retail is something which audiences really respond to.”
Alexander Otto, Chief Executive Officer, ECE, Hamburg, Germany
“I have known Chris for over twenty years. What I like about Chris is his ability to draw on his international client-side experience, his role in advising pan European retailers on their strategy and execution, informed by his deep understanding of the investor and developer community.”
Julia Calabrese, CEO, McArthurGlen, London, UK
“Chris has a wealth of retail, real estate and international business development experience. His experience and leadership in Europe is a great benefit.”
John Riordan, Former President ICSC, New York, USA
“I have known Chris for over 10 years, and he has always offered me intelligent, well-researched advice in my various commercial capacities. He is charismatic, well-connected and does his homework carefully for all his clients.
Michael Stanier, Managing Partner, REBO SOLUTIONS, Germany
“I have known Chris for over 20 years. He has an amazing network among many of the leading global players in the industry. His knowledge and insights into European Retail and Real Estate working with many brands are unique and highly desired. I highly recommend him.”
Pierre Combet, Head of France and International, Camaieu, Paris, France
“Chris Igwe is an experienced European real estate professional. Real Estate is complex and varies by country and landlord and retailer. Chris understands both sides of the value relationship and provides excellent counsel for Global retailers. His knowledge was critical to Build-A-Bear Workshop understanding the European retail landscape.”
Maxine Clark, Founder and Former CEO, Build-A-Bear Workshop, St Louis, USA
“I have known Chris for several years now and he is a very enthusiastic, methodical, and customer-focused professional. A real expert on the retail and leasing approach. It is always a pleasure exchanging with him on Leasing international strategy.”
Mayte Legeay, Senior Asset Manager Europe, Resolution Property, London, United Kingdom
“Chris is one of the top five international retail real estate experts I have met.”
Marc-Christian Riebe, Retail Property Specialist, Zurich, Switzerland
“Mr. Igwe has excellent management skills and a commitment to deliver, as well as excellent ‘team playing’ ability linked to absolute integrity.”
M J Hollis, Managing Director, Schmidlin (UK) Ltd, London, UK
“Chris Igwe is a professional who is appreciated and who commands everybody’s respect in the retail and retail property business.”
Alain Boutigny, Managing Editor, La Correspandance de l’Enseigne, Paris, France
“The highly-competent Chris Igwe was brought in to spearhead the new dawn … any company securing him would be fortunate indeed.”
Eric Williams, Former Editor, Shopping Centre Magazine, London, UK
“Chris Igwe’s knowledge of the retail markets across Europe gives him a unique insight into retailing strategy both from an American and a European viewpoint. He is a lovely speaker, who is able to put across his knowledge in a logical and effective way. I have always enjoyed working with him.”
Jenefer Greenwood, Past President British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC), Director, Grosvenor, London, UK
“Chris Igwe was able to quickly understand the requirements of a luxury brand like Tumi and assist us not only identifying a clear and effective strategy for Europe, but also enable us to have a much better appreciation of the real estate markets across Europe and how to access them.”
Gene Messina, Former VP Real Estate, Design and Construction, Tumi Inc, New Jersey, USA
“I have worked with Chris for over 10 years. He has been instrumental in helping us strategize the growth plans of our toughest markets. Our decision on working with Chris’ company was based on the need to work with a company we could entrust with the entire real estate process, helping us secure the best deals at the best terms.
Their knowledge, experience and level of service are probably unrivalled in Europe. They got to know our brand, how and where we would fit into the markers, and helped us expand successfully.”
Jerome Griffith, Former Member of the Board, President, North America, Esprit International, New York, USA
“Chris Igwe International has been key in assisting GAME develop and implement their growth strategy for France during the past two years. Their knowledge of the French real estate market and understanding of our business model and brand positioning have been instrumental in helping GAME deliver growth of over 25% over the past year alone.”
Nick Martel, Former Group Property, Europe, Game, Basingstoke, United Kingdom
“Thank you, Chris! You have left a great legacy and I look forward to your continued involvement at the coal face of retail research.”
Ermine Evans, Former Chief Operating Officer, ICSC Europe, London, UK
“Chris is great to work for. Very professional, focused and good fun. A Graphic Designers dream client.”
Wendy Barratt, What If Why Not Limited, UK
“I have known Chris for many years and have worked with him in different situations. First, I met Chris while working at Gap in France. At the time, he managed European Property. I found him to be a great manager for his people, very competent in his field and I remember being most impressed by his networking ability. He then helped me get my first free-lance consulting job when I decided to move my career in that direction. At that time, he was managing his own consulting business and I found his advice to be extremely insightful and encouraging. Chris then became my client and during this time, I remember being impressed by his entrepreneurial spirit as well as his leadership ability. Finally, Chris and I worked as Business Partners in various instances, pulling our efforts together to help our clients. In these situations, I was particularly pleased by his ability to practice teamwork and the energy he puts into helping others. Just a great guy all around really!”
Maria-Elena Daynes, Senior Consultant, Hay Group France
“Chris is a very professional person. He's brilliant and determined in everything that he does. I feel honored to have known and worked with him for about 5 years. In our dealings, he has always been open and beautifully communicative. He is focused and has a deep understanding of business and marketing, which is a true blessing when it comes to helping develop his online presence. From my experience with him, I feel comfortable in highly recommending him as a business consultant and speaker.”
Deb Augur, Owner, MyWebGal.com, USA
“Chris is a leader with a wide and deep understanding of business. He is able to swiftly see and/or create a visionary big picture from relatively few bits of information, then analyze that picture, and come up with powerful and practical strategies to achieve it. When you contemplate a significant business change, Chris and his company will enable you with efficiency and ease.”
Barb Pratt, Founder/CEO, Project Leadership Gold, Inc., USA