Hammerson plc, the UK-listed real estate investment company with secondary listings in South Africa and Ireland, has appointed Gina Szymanski as its new Chief Financial Officer and executive director as it positions the business for its next phase of growth.

Gina Szymanski is expected to join Hammerson and take up her board position no later than January 1, 2027, subject to obtaining a UK work visa.

Szymanski joins from AEW Capital Management

Gina Szymanski will replace Himanshu Raja, who retired on August 12. When Hammerson announced Raja’s retirement late in April, Hammerson named Deputy CFO Richard Shaw as an interim CFO once Raja stepped down. Gina Szymanski joins Hammerson from AEW Capital Management, where she serves as Global Securities Chief Investment Officer in Boston, Massachusetts.

She began her career as a forensic accountant and equity analyst before building more than two decades of experience spanning finance, capital markets, investment, real estate investment trusts and corporate strategy.

The London-based real estate investment trust focused on city-centre shopping centres said her appointment followed an extensive recruitment process supported by an independent executive search firm.

Rob Wilkinson, CEO of Hammerson, said Gina Szymanski brings deep sector expertise, capital markets knowledge and a track record of value creation, adding that her experience investing in global listed real estate gives her a strong understanding of shareholder returns and investor expectations.

New CFO to earn £475,000 annually

Szymanski will receive a gross annual salary of £475,000 ($626,875), alongside a pension allowance equivalent to 10% of her base salary.

She will also participate in Hammerson’s Annual Incentive Plan and Restricted Share Scheme under the company’s shareholder-approved remuneration policy.

As part of her appointment, Hammerson will provide a buy-out award worth 125% of her annual salary to compensate her for remuneration opportunities forfeited when leaving AEW Capital Management. The award will be issued in Hammerson shares and will have a one-year vesting period.

The company, with £4.8 billion in assets under management, will also provide up to £100,000 net in relocation support to facilitate Szymanski’s move from the United States to the United Kingdom. If she resigns within two years of joining Hammerson, the buy-out award and relocation support may be repayable.

Hammerson targets growth in retail real estate

Szymanski said she was joining Hammerson at an exciting point in its development and highlighted opportunities emerging across the global retail real estate sector.

She described Hammerson as operationally and financially well positioned to capture those opportunities, adding that she intends to work with management and the board to build on the company’s momentum and deliver sustainable growth for shareholders and other stakeholders.

Hammerson, incorporated in England and Wales, is primarily listed on the London Stock Exchange and has secondary inward listings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and Euronext Dublin. Its shares trade under HMSO in London and Dublin and HMN on the JSE.