How did you end up in Budapest?

The founder of TrizecHahn, Peter Munk, decided he wanted to begin looking at retail development in Europe and put together a team. I was the first expat brought over. We began to do investigation of retail development here, a team was established, and my role was to be the US expert on that team.

You didn’t get that just by being American?

At the time I was VP for business development at the Hahn Company, but I’d previously lived in Europe for five years. I worked for the government in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. I ran a ski resort for the US military.

So when offered a position in Europe, were you anxious to get back?

They asked who would be interested and I stepped forward. I’d been looking at the development of the company internationally. We’d been looking at the Far East as well, so it seemed natural to get involved. Our first project in Hungary was to consult on Polus Center.

Does property run in the family or are you the first of your kind?

I’m the first of my kind. My background is actually more in management and recreation management. It was a real change of career for me back in 1986.

There are Spanish and Saudi Arabian schemes where they put a ski slope in a mall. What would you say to that as an ex-resort manager, and a retail specialist?

I think that anything that holds the customer’s attention beyond just shopping is a good thing. I’ve always been a proponent for including entertainment – though I don’t know how viable that is from a profit standpoint – but you want to try to keep the customer in the shopping environment for longer.

You don’t spend that much time in Budapest these days?

My role is to handle the development of retail throughout Europe and wherever AIG/Lincoln has offices, and to find new markets. So I have to cover a lot of ground, though we’re also active in Hungary. I have maybe one or two weeks per year when I’m not traveling, but I always try to make it back for the weekend. I generally try to spend two days at the most in any one location, unless there’s a particular need for more time.

Any favorite cities, or is it all just work?

It’s basically just all work. There’s not really any one city I prefer. There are some I don’t prefer, but I’m not going to tell you which ones they are.

How about airports? Favorite and least favorite?

Moscow would probably have to rate as one of my least favorites. Most of the German airports are pretty tolerable, along with the new ones in CEE like Prague and Budapest. The one I probably dislike the most is JFK in New York.

Favorite non-AIG/Lincoln mall?

It’s interesting. After being in this business for quite a long time none of them really seem stand out.

You tend to look at them more in terms of whether they’ll work or not?

I guess I look at them more functionally. Having developed West End City Center, I like that one a lot. I think my favorite project is Horton Plaza in San Diego – it has a lot of unique characteristics. I worked on it for two years. It’s a classic project.

Do you like shopping?

I don’t think I’ve met anyone in this business that actually likes shopping. That’s probably why women are better in this job. I think they actually should be much more involved in the industry than they are, because they understand retail a lot better than we do, and they understand the likes and dislikes better. I know what works and what doesn’t work, but that’s just from doing it a lot.

Weekends are your own?

I spend a lot of time with my family.

Which sports team you follow the closest?

I’m an avid sports fan and have been following my hometown teams from Philadelphia since I was a boy. So it’s the Sixers, the Phillies, and the Eagles.

What sport are you best at?

I’m a jack-of-all-trades – so I really just try to make sure I stay in shape – but I’d probably have to say baseball is my number one sport.

When’s your big vacation time?

We take a bit of time in the summer, but skiing is really my main activity in the winter.

What are your favorite resorts?

Trois Vallees in France and St. Antonin in Austria.

What do you like about them?

The variety of the terrain and the challenges.

What’s the last book you read that you’d recommend?

The original English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. It’s really a biography of Laszlo Almasy – it’s a good Hungarian historic book. The most fun book is the Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein.

Is CEE still a good place to come if you’re an ambitious QA or MBA graduate in property?

It’s still a very good place to come if you’re established on the market, but for new opportunities emerging markets are the right spot, so you’re looking at Ukraine, Russia, China, Romania, and the Balkans.