Sook, the proptech innovator reimagining how retail space is used, has appointed Lysa Campbell as their new Chief Operating Officer. Campbell will play a pivotal role in executing Sook’s strategy to re-define how shopping areas are used, increasing its footprint in the UK and internationally.
Sook transforms empty shops into adaptive, ‘pop-up’ spaces, with nine spaces in prime retail areas of London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and Edinburgh. Its multi-purpose spaces are used for short-term retail, brand activations and pop-ups and living adverts deploying on its shop-front digital screens. Its rapidly expanding client base includes household names such as Uber, Jägermeister, Vodafone and TikTok.
Credit: Be Inspired Media Ltd
Campbell joins Sook with a long track record as an entrepreneur and business leader, establishing successful businesses in the retail and marketing sectors. This includes founding and selling an agency in the field marketing space, and leading Retail Marketing Group as CEO, pivoting the original proposition from a UK physical instore focus to global digital capability. Alongside this launching the sister agency ‘Retail Storey’ to maximise this opportunity having invested and designed in-house market leading social commerce tech capability.
She has since founded a new agency, ‘She Makes a Difference’, to support other SME founders and senior executives shape their vision, define their purpose and own their future legacies.
Campbell joins at a pivotal growth point for Sook, following a funding round with Tobin Capital in May, and signing significant new partnership with Landsec, bringing exciting new prime inventory to clients in BlueWater in Kent and Trinity shopping centre in Leeds.
In addition to opening a new space in Islington Square, Sook has rolled out a host of events and brand activations and living adverts for clients this year, including pop-ups from global brands TikTok and OPI. Campbell will lead the team to accelerate Sook’s growth strategy, increasing its footprint in prime retail areas, and accelerating client growth.
Speaking on her appointment, Campbell said, “Sook’s got an incredibly compelling proposition that breathes new life into a struggling retail sector. Its model is established and big brand clients are having great success connecting with their customers in new way.
“I’ll be focusing on supercharging growth – telling our story to more brands and bringing more and more Sook spaces to key shopping areas in the UK and internationally.”
John Hoyle, CEO and Founder of Sook said “Lysa brings a huge amount of experience and we’re excited to see her apply this to executing on Sook’s strategy. Shopping areas are still struggling in many areas and the need for new innovations like Sook is clear. With Lysa’s leadership and innovative growth strategies, we’ll be able to accelerate our activities and continue on the trajectory of success we’ve achieved thus far.”
