Savills strengthens its retail platform with Marcello Zanfi, new head of high street leasing

Savills has appointed Marcello Zanfi as its new head of high street leasing, with the aim of further strengthening its retail platform in Italy.

The appointment forms part of the company’s growth strategy in a rapidly evolving segment, driven by the transformation of consumption, the expansion of brands and the growing importance of Italy’s main high streets in the international high-end, premium and luxury market.

The new role

In his new role, Zanfi will lead the development of high street leasing activities in Italy, with the aim of offering retailers, landlords and investors increasingly integrated and specialised advice. He will also be able to draw on the collaboration of the international Global Luxury Retail team and access to Savills’ global platform, present in the world’s major markets.

Extensive experience

With more than twenty years of experience in retail real estate, Marcello Zanfi joins Savills after 16 years at Cbre, where he held roles of increasing responsibility in retail advisory. During his career, he has supported numerous national and international retailers with their respective expansion plans, consolidating expertise in leasing strategies, negotiations between tenants and property owners, and the analysis of the dynamics driving the sector’s evolution.

Zanfi’s arrival represents a further step in strengthening Savills’ retail structure, following the recent appointments of Riccardo Crepaldi as head of retail management and Amanda Vissia as director of global luxury retail. The choice confirms the company’s intention to invest in professionals with established experience, strengthening its positioning and its ability to respond to the needs of an increasingly competitive and international market. The integration of expertise in high street leasing and luxury retail further expands Savills’ advisory offering in support of retailers, landlords, investors and international brands.

The comments

Davide Dalmiglio, CEO of Savills Italia, comments: “Italy’s main shopping streets are now complex ecosystems in which brand identities, the quality of the experience and property value intersect. In this scenario, Savills’ deep knowledge of the premium, high-end and luxury segments enables us to anticipate the evolution of consumption and translate it into effective strategies for location, positioning and asset enhancement. Marcello’s arrival gives further momentum to our Retail team: his specialist expertise, combined with his international perspective, will strengthen our ability to create distinctive connections between brands, property owners and investors and to offer innovative, high-value-added solutions”.

Marcello Zanfi, head of high street leasing, adds: “The retail market is undergoing a period of profound transformation, marked by retailers’ increasing selectivity in their expansion and positioning choices, strong market polarisation and the need for property owners to identify the tenants that best align with their investment strategies. Joining Savills represents a great professional opportunity for me, and I am excited to contribute to the development of high street leasing activities and to work with a highly qualified team focused on supporting clients with increasingly innovative and integrated solutions capable of creating long-term value”.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.