Simon Property Group veteran joins exec team at The Children's Place
Children’s apparel retailer The Children’s Place has named a new head of real estate.
Philip Ende has been appointed group VP, head of real estate effective Nov. 11. He joins the company from real estate consulting firm Ende Real Estate Advisors, where he served as president and founder. Before founding Ende Real Estate Advisors in March of 2020, Ende worked for over 27 years at Simon Property Group holding roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in his position as senior VP of leasing premium outlets.
“We are excited for Philip to lead the real estate team and leverage his decades of experience in the real estate industry to assist the company in strengthening our relationships with landlords and driving our continued investment in our real estate portfolio,” said Muhammad Umair, who took over as interim CEO in May. “This is another step in the company’s renewed focus on stores as a critical piece of our omni-channel strategy.”
As the head of real estate, Ende will oversee the real estate strategy and operations for the company. He will report to Umair.
[READ MORE: The Children’s Place opens digital storefront on Shein]
“I am thrilled to be joining The Children’s Place and to have the opportunity to support the company in improving landlord partnerships and identifying opportunities to strategically expand store locations in the future,” said Ende.
The appointment comes amid financial struggles for the retailer. In April 2024, The Children’s Place received a second loan from its majority shareholder, Mithaq Capital SPC. Since February 2024, the retailer has received at least $168.6 million in funding from Mithaq, composed of the recent $90 million term loan and a previously announced $78.6 million in interest-free, unsecured and subordinated term loan funding.
The Children’s Place’s global retail and wholesale network includes two digital storefronts, more than 500 stores in North America, wholesale marketplaces and distribution in 15 countries through five international franchise partners.
