NEW YORK, April 11, 2016 – The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Foundation has announced Andre Sanlley, CFO and head of Business Development at the Rizek Construction and Development Group, as the recipient of the prestigious Planigrupo Latin American Fellowship in Honor of Milton Cooper and David Henry.
An accomplished businessman with an economics academic background, Sanlley was honored with the Planigrupo Latin American Fellowship for his outstanding work across an impressive portfolio including eight construction and real estate development projects for the Rizek Construction and Development Group. Sanlley directly supervises a team of twenty professionals and keeps tabs on all financial transactions for the group, while simultaneously growing in-house capabilities to develop successful retail projects. He is currently working with a team to complete the design phase of the group’s first shopping center, which will be strategically positioned as a center for community.
Due to Sanlley’s role in developing and implementing a new system for project costs and execution control, the Rizek Construction and Development group executed the largest construction project in the company’s history. This has set the groundwork for future expansion, reducing the amount of risk involved in projects while concurrently raising profit potential for the group.
“I feel greatly honored to be selected for the Planigrupo Latin American Fellowship. This represents a turning point in my career, allowing me to acquire key knowledge from experienced professionals, which I will put to practice very quickly in the upcoming projects we are undertaking,” said Sanlley. “The retail industry in the Dominican Republic has quickly evolved in the past few years, with larger and more experienced players improving the quality of destinations being offered to the public. With this scholarship I will gain the necessary advantage to succeed in this increasingly competitive environment.”
Sanlley and the Rizek Construction and Development group have also completed a large amount of community service work including volunteering with the Children of the Road, a foundation that helps orphans and abandoned children through healthcare, food, education and social re-insertion, for the past five years.
Established in 2014, the Planigrupo Latin American Fellowship recognizes significant professional experience, leadership skills and proactive industry involvement in Latin America’s growing retail market. In addition to industry-wide recognition, Sanlley will receive a valuable network of international contacts, certification training and admission to the John T. Riordan Global School for Professional Development.
The John T. Riordan School for Professional Development is a retail real estate training program for industry professionals. The week-long management, marketing and leasing program leads to an ICSC Certificate of Completion and allows participants to deepen their knowledge of retail property and shopping centers, learn from subject matter experts, share ideas and identify best practices. The scholarship resonates with former ICSC President John T. Riordan’s legacy of promoting education and professional development in the shopping center industry.
Sanlley was honored among peers during a ceremony at ICSC RECon Latin America in Cancun, Mexico. RECon Latin America addresses the most pressing issues the retail industry faces globally and in Latin America, presenting premier networking, business and education opportunities to owners, developers, retailers, investors and product and service providers from all over the region.
The ICSC Foundation is the charitable arm of ICSC. The ICSC Foundation is dedicated to career development through educational endeavors, and to engaging, promoting and recognizing those in the retail real estate industry who contribute to making their communities better. For more information, visit www.icscfoundation.org.
About ICSC
Founded in 1957, ICSC is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 70,000 members in over 100 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, investors, retailers, brokers, academics, and public officials. The shopping center industry is essential to economic development and opportunity. They are a significant job creator, driver of GDP, and critical revenue source for the communities they serve through the generation of sales taxes and the payment of property taxes. These taxes fund important municipal services like firefighters, police officers, school services, and infrastructure like roadways and parks. Shopping centers aren’t only fiscal engines however; they are integral to the social fabric of their communities by providing a central place to congregate with friends and family, discuss community matters, and participate in and encourage philanthropic endeavors. For more information about ICSC visit www.icsc.com and for the latest news from ICSC and the industry go to www.thecenterofshopping.com.