Patrick Burgess MBE Chairman
Appointed to the Board:
Appointed a Non-Executive Director of the group in 2001 and Chairman on 1 August 2008.
Career:
Patrick Burgess qualified as a Solicitor in 1972 and became a partner in Gouldens in 1974, serving as head of the Corporate Department for 14 years and as Senior Partner for six, culminating with the merger of Gouldens with Jones Day in 2003, from which he retired in 2007. He has also has been active in a number of charitable and community organisations.
Skills and Experience:
At Jones Day, Patrick specialised in mergers & acquisitions and corporate re-structuring. He also has considerable experience in compliance, regulatory and stock exchange matters.
Other appointments:
Non-Executive Director of Standard Bank PLC
Committees:
Chairman of the Capital Projects Committee
Chairman of the Nomination & Review Committee
Chairman of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
![Portrait - Patrick Burgess MBE](/scaled/8117598f.jpeg)
John Whittaker Deputy Chairman
Appointed to the Board:
Appointed as Deputy Chairman and a Non-Executive Director on 28 January 2011.
Career:
John Whittaker is the Chairman of the Peel Group which he founded in 1971 and developed into a leading UK infrastructure, transport and real estate enterprise.
Skills and Experience:
John is a highly regarded real estate investor, and has overseen the growth of the Peel Group across many sectors such as land, real estate, ports, airports renewable energy and media. John is an experienced property developer and business leader, illustrated by projects such as The Trafford Centre and MediacityUK. His appointment to the Board followed the acquisition by Capital Shopping Centres of The Trafford Centre from the Peel Group.
Other appointments:
Chairman of the Peel Group and Non-Executive Director of Pinewood Shepperton plc.
Committees:
Member of the Capital Projects Committee
![Portrait - John Whittaker](/scaled/68818a5e.jpeg)
David Fischel Chief Executive
Appointed to the Board:
Appointed Finance Director in 1988, Managing Director in 1992 and Chief Executive in March 2001.
Career:
David Fischel qualified as a chartered accountant in 1983 at Touche Ross & Co before joining Capital Shopping Centres in 1985.
Skills and experience:
At Touche Ross, David worked in the corporate finance department with experience in acquisitions, flotations and capital raisings. During his 27 year career with CSC, David has gained significant executive experience in numerous aspects of the shopping centre industry including shopping centre acquisitions and developments. He has also been closely involved with the group’s corporate development including equity and debt financings and a wide range of other corporate transactions, including the 2010 demerger of Capital & Counties from CSC.
Other appointments:
Non-executive director of Equity One, Inc.
Committees:
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Member of the Capital Projects Committee
Member of the Corporate Responsibility Committee
![Portrait - David Fischel](/scaled/ed5fcbc2.jpeg)
Matthew Roberts Finance Director
Appointed to the Board:
Appointed as Finance Director on 3 June 2010.
Career:
Matthew Roberts was previously the Finance Director of Debenhams plc from 1996 to 2003, and Chief Financial Officer of Gala, subsequently Gala Coral Group Ltd, from 2004 to 2008.
Skills and experience:
Matthew is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and has gained significant executive level finance experience in his previous positions at Debenhams plc, where he managed its 1998 IPO and ran its international business and property function, and at Gala where he led a number of acquisitions and fundraisings including the creation of a £3 billion debt package following the acquisition of Coral.
Committees:
Member of the Capital Projects Committee
Member of the Executive Committee
![Portrait - Matthew Roberts](/scaled/32e8471f.jpeg)