Westfield Southcenter has appointed Arta Baharmast as General Manager. The mall’s owner, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), is a global developer and operator of over 100 shopping destinations on two continents.

Baharmast comes from a family of retailers, including his father, who worked for The Bon Marché after immigrating from Iran in the ’70s.

Men’s Warehouse gave Baharmast his first job in retail as a customer service associate when he was 16. “It’s almost like I never really left,” he explained. Baharmast worked his way up the ladder into multiple managerial positions at several Men’s Warehouse locations, including Redmond, Northgate, and Southcenter. After receiving numerous sales and management achievement awards with the company, he took a sales and management coaching position with Nike in California.

“The biggest thing I learned from Nike, my biggest takeaway, was leading people to a common goal aligned with what we were looking to accomplish,” Baharmast explained. “Life can be challenging, both in a person’s career and outside of that career. You drive results by ensuring every team member is at their best and enjoys what they do every day.”

Baharmast eventually returned to the Northwest and honed his business-to-business skills working for several companies. He clarified, “My biggest passion has always been retail through brick-and-mortar stores.”

Regarding his new GM position with Westfield Southcenter, Baharmast beams, “I’m excited to be here because I have an opportunity to lead an amazing center with the best team and great retailers who serve a community I care deeply about.”