Stroud's Five Valleys shopping centre has welcomed Jack Simpson to head up the team, driving the centre forward at an important stage of its redevelopment.

Jack, who has a strong shopping centre management background spanning eight years, will be supporting the centre through its final phases of redevelopment and supporting the raft of new businesses that have recently opened. He will also play a key role in driving the success of the popular indoor market.

The Five Valleys centre has undergone a major transformation over the last two years creating new retail, office and residential space as well as delivering a new health care and library hub, which will be completed this year with the library opening in the Spring.

Jack has managed and run operations on a shopping centre in nearby Gloucester and along with living in Cheltenham with his family, has the perfect understanding of what shoppers and visitors are looking for when they shop, eat and spend time in the area.

Jack has enjoyed taking up his new challenge so far and has already formed close relationships with the centre's businesses and market traders.

Jack said: "I am really thrilled to be part of the Five Valleys team. It's a really exciting time for the centre at the moment with lots of plans afoot to ensure a great experience when shoppers make a visit to us.

"I'm delighted to start working with all the great businesses and traders here and my first priority is to start building close relationships with organisations to ensure the shopping centre runs as smoothly as possible."

The centre has welcomed a number of new businesses in the past 12 months becoming almost fully let when The Tanning Room and a further new fashion boutique opens next month.

Lottie Thompson, operations manager for Dransfield Properties, said: "We are really pleased to have welcomed Jack to the team. We have an exciting year ahead with the opening of the library and further new stores joining the centre giving shoppers even more reason to visit Five Valleys."

Five Valleys is owned and managed by Dransfield Properties Ltd.