Retail estate veteran Scott Parsons in line to chair Oxford St Development Corporation Board
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has proposed to appoint Scott Parsons as Board Chair of the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC), the aim of which is to drive the regeneration of London’s Oxford Street and unlock its true potential.
The appointment is subject to a confirmation hearing by the London Assembly and follows a recruitment process which launched in August.
As UK Chief Operating Officer at Unibail Rodamco Westfield from 2019 and 2025, Parsons oversaw flagship retail destinations at Westfield London and Stratford City, guiding the UK business through the Covid period.
He also brings 13 years of senior experience from property and development company Landsec, where as Head of Property for its London business, he managed a diverse portfolio including buildings on Oxford Street spanning from Park House in the West to Primark and the Dominion Theatre in the East.
He is also a former Non-Executive Director at the New West End Company (NWEC).
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Lysara, a pan-European platform focused on building and operating energy transition infrastructure in key logistics and urban markets.
Khan says that he is progressing with steps to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) dedicated to regenerating the area and ultimately making Oxford Street a world leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. Following support from the London Assembly in July 2025, he is working with government to make the necessary legislation for the MDC to be established by 1st January 2026.
Khan says: “With a wealth of experience in London’s retail and property sectors, Scott has the extensive knowledge and insight needed to play a key role in delivering our bold plans to transform Oxford Street. I’m determined to unlock Oxford Street's true potential to create a world class leisure destination, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”
Parsons, says: "The Oxford Street Transformation provides the opportunity to put a world-famous icon back on the map. I'm looking forward to working with the Mayor, the new Development Corporation Chief Exec and their teams on this exciting project."
2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
Physical retail was a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
We received a record number of entries and many fantastic examples of the continued resilience and dynamism of the retail space during hugely challenging times.
For a full rundown of all of the shortlisted entries, click here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC in Central London on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
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