Jace Tyrrell Leaves as CEO of London’s New West End Company
LONDON — Jace Tyrrell, a longtime campaigner for London retail, is leaving his post as chief executive officer of New West End Company, to take up a similar job in his native Australia.
Tyrrell, who for the past six years lobbied for businesses located across the key shopping streets of Mayfair, Soho and Oxford Circus, is leaving to become CEO of The New Sydney Waterfront Company, Australia’s first Business Improvement District, and a retail, leisure and commercial hub with potential to grow.
More from WWD
He will join the Waterfront Company in October.
As head of New West End, Tyrrell advocated for retail, leisure, real estate and consumer-facing businesses and was an early advocate of experiential retail, communal spaces on high streets and the power of digital tools to transform physical shopping.
He oversaw the multimillion-pound upgrades of Bond Street and Hanover Square Gardens and helped to position the West End for an upcoming 5 billion pound injection of capital in the next few years. He also helped to steer local businesses through Brexit, and the devastating COVID-19 lockdowns.
Peter Rogers, chairman of New West End, said Tyrrell has been “unwavering in his commitment to the West End, standing up not only for the needs of our district, but also the wider British retail and leisure sectors. He has led the West End to new heights, spearheading major transformational schemes, and welcoming new brands and experiences to the area.”
ARON.KLEIN/Courtesy
Tyrrell said that after six years at the helm of New West End, “it is time to turn to a new chapter, with a unique and compelling offer to head back to Australia. Sydney’s Western Harbour is one of Australia’s most loved areas, with a huge scope to re-assert itself as a leading global retail, leisure, commercial and cultural powerhouse.”
Alongside his position at The New Sydney Waterfront Business Improvement District, Tyrrell will also be launching a new consultancy called City-Squared Consulting. The new venture will bring together more than two decades of Tyrrell’s expertise in urban regeneration, destination development and campaigning in the U.K. and Asia Pacific.
He’s not leaving London without a fight, and will continue to lobby on behalf of businesses in the West End.
Tyrrell said he wants the British government to make simple legislative changes to support the area as it recovers from COVID-19.
He’s calling for an overhaul of business taxes and wants to see the simplification of the electronic visa waiver for visitors from the Gulf States. He also wants ministers to reexamine their decision to abolish tax-free shopping in the U.K.
“London’s West End has evolved in recent years — despite the upheaval of the pandemic — and is set to transform into a district filled with innovative new brands, experiences and streetscapes that really cater to the modern local and global customer,” Tyrrell said.
He added that the British government “must make necessary changes to facilitate our recovery” and respond to the needs of “our valued domestic and international customers with an easier route to enter British shores.”
Rogers and New West End’s chief operating officer Dee Corsi will be filling Tyrrell’s shoes until a successor is named.
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.