General Growth appoints new execs

From left: Sandeep Mathrani, Alan Barocas and Andrew Perel
Mall owner General Growth Properties’ incoming CEO, Sandeep Mathrani, has appointed new members to his executive team, the Wall Street Journal reported. Alan Barocas, who spent 25 years at Gap before leaving in April 2006 to operate his own consultancy, will join General Growth to oversee leasing for its malls. General Growth also hired Richard Pesin — formerly executive vice president of retail development for real estate developer Forest City Ratner — as its executive vice president of anchor stores, development and construction. Andrew Perel, the managing partner in the New York office of law firm Steptoe & Johnson, will join General Growth as general counsel. The three executives will begin Jan. 17, the same day that Mathrani — who previously oversaw the retail division of Vornado Realty Trust — takes over as CEO. General Growth, based in Chicago, owns 185 U.S. malls, including the South Street Seaport and Staten Island mall in New York. In November, the company exited bankruptcy by way of a $7 billion recapitalization led by Brookfield Asset Management. [WSJ]