Ali Ergun Ergen, who has been at the helm of the Baneasa Shopping center project in Bucharest for the last six years, is back aboard the Anchor Grup, owners of Bucuresti Mall and Plaza Romania shopping center in Bucharest. Ergun Ergen, who was the CEO of the real estate developer between 1999 and 2005, will provide consultancy for the two shopping centers in the Anchor Grup portfolio, company officials confirmed for Romania-Insider.com. Ergun-Ergen, 41, left Baneasa Shopping City at the end of 2011 and was replaced by Georgios Argentopulos, who now runs the shopping center in the Northern part of Bucharest.

Bucuresti Mall was the first modern shopping center opened in Bucharest, in 1999, on the premises of a structure from the communist period called a 'hunger circus'. The Turkish developers have expanded the project, making room for brands like Zara, H&M and Starbucks. Bucuresti Mall still enjoys an area relatively free of competing retail projects,  but the company's other mall, Plaza Romania, in the Eastern part of Bucharest, faces stiff competition from Afi Palace Cotroceni.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Baneasa Shopping City)