What began with me looking up to Gilles as an admired leader in the retail real estate business evolved into a valued mentorship and, over the years, a lasting friendship. Now, that journey has come full circle, and I am thrilled and honoured to welcome Gilles to the Think Retail team on Oct. 1.

With more than 40+ years in the retail real estate business, Gilles brings a remarkable depth of experience and industry knowledge to Think Retail. His career has spanned some of the industry's most respected organizations, including Morguard, Westcliff, Sandalwood, Cambridge, giving him a front-row seat to the evolution of Canadian retail and the retail real estate landscape.

Gilles understands the business from all angles-from the needs of landlords and retailers to identifying opportunities, navigating complex deals and building lasting relationships. That perspective will be a tremendous addition to our team as we continue to grow our platform and connections across Canada.

But for me, Gilles' arrival is about more than experience and expertise.

It's personal.

Gilles has been an important mentor and influence throughout my own career, and I have always had enormous respect for his work, his knowledge and the way he approaches the business. Over the years, our professional relationship became a genuine friendship. Now, after all those years of crossing paths in the industry, we get to work together.

It really is a full-circle moment.

And while I'm proud of the journey that brought Gilles to Think Retail, I'm even more excited about what comes next.

We have great work ahead of us - new opportunities to uncover, relationships to build and exciting retail concepts to bring to market in Quebec and across Canada. We're fortunate to work with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking retailers and brands in the business, and I know Gilles will bring another valuable dimension to that work.

The best is yet to come, and I couldn't be happier to have Gilles with us for the journey.

Welcome to Think Retail, Gilles. We're thrilled to have you on board!