Shaftesbury Capital says COO to quit and won't be replaced

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 12, 2023

Shaftesbury Capital has announced the departure of its Chief Operating Officer Chris Ward. The former Chief Financial Officer of Shaftesbury (pre-Capo merger) has decided to step down from the property giant’s board after 12 years. No reason was given for his exit from 22 December.

However the company, whose portfolio is concentrated in prime central London commercial properties, said the COO role will not be replaced on the board.

Ward “played an important leadership role including throughout the merger which created Shaftesbury Capital earlier this year and has led the delivery of a number of highly successful integration activities since completion of the merger”, the firm said.

Chairman Jonathan Nicholls said: “Chris is a committed and experienced executive and has made an enormous contribution to creating London's leading central London mixed-use REIT.”

Ward added: “I am proud to have been involved in its history and in such a transformative transaction this year. I'm pleased with the success we have achieved in integrating the two businesses and I leave the company in good hands, with a clear strategy.

Shaftesbury Capital’s trading statement in late November showed that its “excellent performance” in the first half had continued into the second half, “with a strong start to the Christmas trading period. It expects rental growth of 5-7% per annum on average over the medium-term, it said.