ICSC unveils CRX Retail Property Executive Certification

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has introduced the launch of the newest credential in its Professional Certification program—the Certified Retail Property Executive (CRX). The executive credential demonstrates a commitment to quality, performance and profitability in the senior leadership of all retail real estate industry organizations. It is geared towards current and aspiring leaders who have a vested interest in elevating multi-disciplinary industry standards, recognizing best practices, cultivating professionalism in the next generation of corporate executives and enhancing the assets for which they are responsible. "The CRX was created in response to critical paradigm shifts in the retail real estate industry like plateauing of new development, changing capital flows, globalization of retail, socio-economic shifts and more," said CRX committee chairman Gordon Greeby, SCDP, president, The Greeby Companies. "These evolutions have blurred the traditional lines of industry disciplines and fundamentally changed what it means to be a successful retail property executive moving forward." Applicants will qualify for the CRX designation by demonstrating at least eight years of qualifying work experience. Candidates also agree to a code of professional ethics and provide professional references. As the CRX designation is a practice-based credential, successful candidates must master, through diverse experience and education, a comprehensive body of retail property knowledge in areas like retailing, financing, valuation, leadership and organizational management, portfolio and asset management, risk management, regulatory compliance, leasing and revenue enhancement, property management and public-private partnerships. Certification is ultimately achieved through successful completion of a rigorous computer-based examination, developed according to strict psychometric standards and administered at over 400 testing centers worldwide. The exams are offered by appointment three times a year beginning October 12-20 and continuing next year March 8-16, June 21-29, and October 11-19. Applications will be accepted on a rolling-basis beginning late this summer. "Designed to be meaningful across a variety of disciplines and types of companies throughout the industry, including retailers, the exam is comprehensive in scope," said Elise Jaffe, senior vice president of real estate for Dressbarn, a unit of Ascena Retail Group, Inc. "It is not a simple test of facts learned in a classroom or from reading a book; rather, it measures one's ability to analyze complex issues, to meet challenges encountered in actual work experiences, and to apply judgment and best practices when solving problems." The ICSC board of trustees has delegated authority for CRX development, governance and oversight to a prestigious pool of industry experts from around the globe. These industry experts who form the CRX admissions and governing committee are pioneers in all facets of the retail real estate industry and have collectively held executive positions with retailers (e.g., Saks Incorporated, dressbarn and Walgreen Co.) law firms (e.g., Sills Cummis & Gross), real estate investment trusts (e.g., PREIT, General Growth Properties, Retail Properties of America, Glimcher Realty Trust), owner/developers (e.g., Evergreen Commercial Realty and Constructora Planigrupo) and multi-national management services companies (e.g., Jones Lang LaSalle Turkey, Ivanhoe Cambridge of Canada, Ancar Ivanhoe of Brazil, McArthur + Company of Dubai, Taubman Asia of Hong Kong). In addition to certifying more retail real estate professionals than any other organization in the world, ICSC is the only global organization that provides credible generalist and specialty certifications for professionals working in retail real estate. The new CRX is one of five credentials from ICSC, which also administers the Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM), Certified Marketing Director (CMD), Certified Leasing Specialist (CLS), and Certified Development, Design & Construction Professional (CDP) programs. After nearly 50 years since the inception of its Professional Certification program, ICSC designees are an elite global network of more than 6,000 industry professionals in over 55 countries. The inaugural class of CRX designees will be announced in December of this year. For more information on ICSC and CRX, join the conversation online: * Website: http://www.icsc.org/crx * Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/icsc #CRX #CERTIFIED * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ICSC * LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/CRX-ICSC-Certified-Retail-Property-Executive-4960591