A DRINK WITH…
36 // A Drink with
JO
SKILTON
Jo Skilton has one of the biggest and best jobs in retail property.
As Head of Leasing at the Battersea Power Station Development
Company she is overseeing the creation of a massive new shopping
environment in London. Dom Millar met up with her for a drink in
the shadow of those famous chimneys.
[different] Spring 2015
Hi Jo, what will you have?
A glass of bubbles please, but I don’t drink
alone… so what will you have?
You’ve gone from a role at intu
where you were involved with many
shopping centres to a single focus
at Battersea. How has that been?
At intu I was the Retail & Leasing Director for
five years. I was responsible for the delivery
of all new retail space and new retail contacts
so it was a great opportunity to expand my
network having worked in both airport and
outlet environments prior to that.
// 37
class tenant mix offered in an iconic building
steeped in heritage. In addition to the retail
mix, we will create an urban food hall that
will offer the best artisan food vendors sitting
alongside renown restaurant operators.
The Electric Boulevard will see more than 50
large units open in 2020 to create London’s
newest High Street designed by Foster +
Partners and Gehry Partners. The street will be
the southern pedestrian gateway, linking the
new Northern Line Extension tube station with
the rest of the development.
Food is clearly an essential part of
the shopping experience these days.
What sort of culinary experience
can we expect at Battersea?
Top restaurants and chefs from around the
world have already expressed interest in being
part of the development and we look forward
to confirming our first partners later this year.
We will curate a bespoke offer of culinary
delights from established brands but through a
range of concepts – from food stalls, pop-ups,
cafés and fine-dining.
In terms of how the multi-site role compares
to a single site focus, that’s easy. Whilst the 42
acres of the site at Battersea Power Station
forms a single development, it is actually a
series of clusters that work together to create
a community. Helping to define what each
distinct phase is allows us to establish what a
new neighbourhood needs and which tenants
are best placed to help deliver our ambition.
What sort of retail mix will we see
at Battersea?
We’re currently focused on delivering the first
three of seven phases.
Circus West is set to open in 2016 with up to
40 units establishing the tone for the whole
development. A riverside ‘village’ offer will
serve the needs of the local community,
drawing on the largely independent offering of
‘local heroes' alongside award-winning chefs.
You can’t beat
face time in this
business
The Power Station will open in 2019 with c.115
retail units spread over the ground and upper
ground floors of the central Boiler House and
the two amazingly authentic Turbine Halls
flanking it. The Power Station retail offer
will be the showstopper on site – a best-in-
How do you keep the retail offer in
the eye line of your target brands and
keep it fresh over a prolonged period?
Barry questioned whether or not I had enough
retail experience. I told him that I shopped
every Saturday and I knew where I wanted to
go, what I wanted to buy and what retailers
offered the best experience. I said that nothing
could prepare me more than being in a retail
environment as a shopper. I convinced him and
the rest, as they say, is history!
What’s the most indulgent thing
you’ve ever bought yourself?
To be honest, it’s not the “what” but the
experience. There is nothing better than going
out with nothing in mind and coming home
with shopping bags. To give you flavour of
this… I like Selfridges for me, Borough Market
for food, Soho and Shoreditch for restaurants
and if you ask my husband he’d tell you I have
a certain penchant for shoes and bags!
How do you unwind when you’re
away from the office?
Believe it or not, I go shopping! I also love
visiting places abroad (ideally when the sun
is shining) and exploring the shops, bars and
restaurants. I also really enjoy a spa weekend
to absolutely relax and unwind.
You can’t beat face time in this business. Myself
and my team invest a huge amount of time
and energy at industry events and meeting
retailers on and off site. My team are some of
the best networkers I’ve had the pleasure of
working with and we are never short of support
from across the business which is great.
What’s the next big milestone for
the development as a whole?
There seems to be a major milestone
every week!
The opening of Circus West next year is
something that the whole business is focused
on. However, this year will see our first
commercial partners confirmed, future phase
and public realm design proposals revealed,
work on the Northern Line Extension will start
and the iconic chimney rebuild programme
will progress.
Are you a retail addict away
from work or is it too much like
the day job?
Since working in Topshop on a Saturday and
spending every penny before I left the shop
that night to working in Battersea, retail has
always been a large part of me.
I remember being interviewed by Barry Gibson
when I was a Graduate Trainee at BAA Plc.
wanting to move into the retail team.
The Duchess
Jo and Dom met at The Duchess which
is a traditional London pub that offers a
wide choice of 20 draught beers, over 250
premium spirits and an excellent range of
wines by the glass or bottle.
The décor is smart, eclectic and quirky;
and the food is also great.
On the first floor, the private bar and its
roof terrace command arguably the best
view of its neighbour, the iconic Battersea
Power Station.
So why not visit and watch the power
station transforming?
The Duchess
101 Battersea Park Road London SW8 4DS
020 7498 7611
duchessbattersea.co.uk
[different] Spring 2015