Jason McCormick, CEO, Exemplar REITail

Jason joined McCormick Property Development (MPD) in 2002. At the time, the family-owned business employed less than ten people and owned minority stakes in six small rural shopping centres.

Nearly two decades since Jason joined the team, MPD has now developed 69 assets and employs almost 100 people in the niche market of rural and township retail. Jason was appointed MD of MPD in 2011 and was personally responsible for 29 of those developments, totalling over half a million square metres in GLA.

Given the rapid expansion of MPD under Jason’s leadership, a decision was taken to separate the development and ownership arms of the company. As part of the restructure, Exemplar REITail Ltd was listed on the JSE in June 2018, with 20 retail centres and Jason as the CEO.

Exemplar’s portfolio has since grown to 23 centres with assets to the value of R1bn having been added.  

At the age of 33 he was elected as the youngest director of the South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) and in 2016 he received the SACSC’s inaugural “Young Achiever Award” for his contribution to the shopping centre industry.

In April 2020 during the initial COVID-19 hard lockdown, Jason co-founded the One People Fund (OPF) which delivered food for over 7,5million meals to communities in need.

Jason also played a significant role in protecting a number of Exemplar’s assets against attack during the recent wave of unrest in South Africa.

Educated at Michaelhouse and Stellenbosch University, Jason is a licensed pilot, avid naturalist and conservationist at heart. He remains passionate about community upliftment and the potential that Exemplar and its assets have to fundamentally change the underprivileged and marginalized communities within which it operates; for good.