Industry veteran Teresa Spataro has joined RKF, an independent real estate firm specializing in retail leasing, investment sales and consulting services, as a senior vice president in the firm’s Toronto office.

Spataro, who will focus primarily on landlord representation assignments in the Greater Toronto area and Canada, brings more than 35 years of experience in the shopping centre industry, including regional, community and power centres, as well as leasing outlet shopping centres.

Prior to joining RKF, Spataro worked with several leading developers on projects throughout the country. Most recently, she was vice president, development leasing with Ivanhoe Cambridge, where she was the key player in developing the largest open-air outlet centre in Canada. In the process of delivering successful openings of Outlet Collection at Niagara, CrossIron Mills and Vaughan Mills, she successfully negotiated the tenancies of first to market and established anchor tenants alike, the company says.