The Board of The British Land Company PLC has announced that, after over 11 years as Chief Executive Officer, Chris Grigg has informed the Board of his intention to step down as CEO and from the British Land Board.
Mr Grigg will step down as CEO following delivery of the company’s 2021 interim results on 18 November 2020 and leave the Board and the company on 31 December 2020.
The Board have also announced that, after a thorough search, Simon Carter, currently Chief Financial Officer of British Land, will succeed Chris as Chief Executive Officer on 18 November 2020.
Mr Carter has been the chief financial officer at British Land since returning to the company in May 2018. He has a broad range of experience within the Real Estate and Finance sectors and was previously the Chief Financial Officer of Logicor, the pan-European logistics warehouse business. Prior to that, Mr Carter served as finance director of Quintain Estates & Development plc, a leading Build-to-Rent and mixed-use development business and owner of the 85-acre mixed-use development site at Wembley.
Mr Carter’s successor as Chief Financial Officer will be announced in due course.
Tim Score, the board’s chairman, said: “On behalf of the entire British Land team, I want to thank Chris for his significant and enduring contribution to our company and wish him well for the future. Chris joined as Chief Executive in 2009 and has led our business with distinction. He has been instrumental at putting placemaking, sustainability, design excellence and a focus on the customer at the heart of how we do business.
“The Board are confident that Simon is the right person to lead British Land forward. He is a proven, growth-orientated business leader with significant Real Estate experience and expertise across various asset classes. We look forward to working with Simon in his new role.”
Commenting on his decision to step own, Chris Grigg, chief executive, said: “It has been a privilege to lead British Land over the last 11 years, but I am confident that now is the right time to hand over to Simon. I am immensely proud of what we have delivered over my time as CEO.”
His successor Simon Carter, chief financial officer, said: “It has been a great pleasure to work with Chris and it is an honour to succeed him as CEO. Over his time at British Land I have seen first-hand the significant cultural, organisational and strategic change Chris has delivered right across our company. Like many businesses, we face short-term challenges because of the current Covid crisis, and we continue to respond to the longer-term structural changes in the way people are using real estate. I am convinced however that this brings opportunity and I am confident that with our expert teams and world class assets we are well placed to continue the evolution of British Land and deliver sustainable value over the long term.”
