Lina Higuita has been appointed as new manager of the Arcadian Centre in Birmingham.
Ms Higuita, who is originally from Colombia and moved to Birmingham over 20 years ago, will be in charge of the day-to-day management of the Arcadian in the city's Southside district.
Her former roles include facilities manager at Marketing Birmingham and, more recently, soft services manager at Carillion.
Ms Higuita hailed the Arcadian's "energetic vibe and eclectic mixture of restaurants, bars and unique comedy venue" as she spoke of her aim to grow the relationship with existing tenants and improve links with the centre’s neighbouring businesses.
She said: “I will be working with the tenants to ensure the Arcadian remains one of Birmingham’s popular nightspots as well as introducing initiatives to attract more daytime visitors.”
The first major event that will take place with Ms Higuita at the helm is the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations on Sunday, February 2.
Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the Arcadian for the largest Chinese New Year festivities that features Chinese cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, the Chinese Lion Dance, and a fireworks display.
She added: “The Arcadian is a unique location in the city that has at its heart the Chinese community, which is so important to its character and ambiance.
"The New Year event gets bigger and better every year and we are looking forward to hosting the celebrations,"
The Arcadian Centre is owned by West Midlands-based property company London & Cambridge Properties.
Jo Salmon, LCP’s retail asset manager, said: “There is nowhere like the Arcadian centre anywhere in Birmingham – a real jewel in the city’s crown.
“When the centre administrator, Colin Higgins, retired we needed someone with the management expertise and local knowledge who could pick up on the excellent work that had already been done.
"Lina has a breadth of experience and enthusiasm, so we’re looking forward to drawing up some exciting plans for the continued improvement of the Arcadian.”
