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Shopping Centers Today -> July 2001
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ICSC EUROPE'S JOYE HONORED FOR PIONEERING EFFORTS
By Debra Hazel
TURIN, Italy — Sometimes meetings are for honoring old friends. At the 26th Annual European Conference, held here in March, ICSC gave special recognition to Charles Joye upon his retirement as Chairman of ICSC Europe.
"Charles Joye has been one of the originators of ICSC in Europe," said John T. Riordan, former ICSC president and CEO. "He has done so many different things."
A graduate in economics from the University of Fribourg, Joye worked for Larry Smith Consultants and the Swiss department store chain Maus Frres. In 1981, he formed Retail and Development Services SA, a consulting firm specializing in retail site selection, and shopping center development, leasing and management. He remains its president today. By 1981 Joye was already a longtime ICSC hand, participating with Jean-Louis Solal in the creation of the association’s European Committee in 1974.
"I was a developer; he was an analyst," said Solal, the first chairman of ICSC Europe. "He knows every facet of shopping center activity. At the time, he was one of the rare people who knew anything about shopping centers."
Joye chaired the 1982 ICSC Europe Conference in Paris, and the 1988 Conference, held in Geneva. He also chaired the European Award Committee for its first five years, and launched the Jean-Louis Solal marketing award in 1993. He chaired that award as well, until 1996.
In 1991, he was honored with ICSC’s Distinguished Service Award. He then served as part-time Secretary-General of the independent ICSC Europe from 1992 until 1996. When that office was integrated with ICSC in North America, he became just the third chairman in ICSC Europe’s 26-year history.
"He’s just an exceptionally lovely, wonderful guy who has done as much as anyone for ICSC Europe," Riordan observed.
One of his more recent achievements was the recruitment of Chris Igwe, formerly property director of Gap in Europe, to become managing director of ICSC Europe. The two had met early in Igwe’s career and maintained a relationship.
According to Joye, making contacts with retailers and developers around the world has been the chief benefit of his dealings with ICSC.
"As always, with all activities of life, the truly interesting thing is the people. You might do deals that are more or less successful; what you remember is the people," Joye said. Second, he said, is the opportunity to learn from others with different points of view, a gift he has returned.
"He has been the Minister-at-Large of ICSC Europe, going to the Middle East and Russia. He is very quick witted and has the best sense of humor," Solal said. Despite his official retirement, Joye won’t necessarily be leaving the association. "I would like to see Charles as a special advisor, someone I could say, ’I hold you in very high esteem, and would like your thoughts on things," Igwe said.
To honor his contributions, Joye has been made a lifetime member of ICSC. ICSC might regret that, Joye warns. "My friends have said, ’Charles may well end up going to these meetings, even when he’s 90.’"
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