The Mayor of London has named seasoned retail and real estate executive Scott Parsons as his preferred choice to chair the board of the new Oxford Street Development Corporation, the body tasked with leading the transformation of the capital’s most famous shopping street.
Parsons is currently chief executive of Lysara, a pan-European energy infrastructure platform focused on logistics and urban markets. He brings deep experience from some of the UK’s highest-profile retail and mixed-use destinations. Between 2019 and 2025 he served as UK chief operating officer at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, overseeing Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City and steering the portfolio through the pandemic. Before that, he spent 13 years at Landsec, where as head of property for London he managed a range of landmark assets, including holdings along Oxford Street from Park House in the west to Primark and the Dominion Theatre in the east. He is also a former non-executive director of the New West End Company.
His proposed appointment follows a recruitment process launched in August and is subject to a confirmation hearing by the London Assembly. It comes as City Hall advances plans to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) dedicated to the district, with the goal of creating a world-leading urban environment for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. The London Assembly gave its backing in July 2025 and the Mayor is now working with government to bring forward the necessary legislation for the MDC to be established by 1 January 2026.
Sadiq Khan said the choice reflects a determination to “unlock Oxford Street’s true potential” and deliver a step-change in visitor experience and economic performance. Parsons welcomed the opportunity, describing the Oxford Street Transformation as a chance to put a global icon “back on the map” and signalling his intent to work closely with the Mayor, the corporation’s incoming chief executive and their teams.
The development corporation is expected to coordinate public and private investment, guide design quality and public realm upgrades, and address long-standing challenges around tenant mix, vacancy, accessibility and activation. Early priorities are likely to include rebalancing retail with culture and hospitality, improving pedestrian space and wayfinding, and supporting a shift towards more sustainable, experience-led uses.
If approved, Parsons’ appointment would bring high-level operational expertise to the helm just as the governance framework is finalised—setting the stage for a comprehensive reset of Oxford Street’s offer for Londoners, visitors and businesses alike.
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