Our Placemaking Director, Andrew Sparrow, recently featured in Retail Destination magazine’s 10 Questions With… series, sharing his thoughts on placemaking, leadership and the experiences that have shaped his career.
From supporting local communities at the very start of his career to leading Activate today, Andrew’s passion for people has remained at the heart of everything he does.
When asked about his first role in placemaking, Andrew reflected on his time working in community liaison, where he supported local communities alongside new developments. Looking back, he explains that although the term placemaking wasn’t widely used at the time, the focus was exactly the same: understanding local people, listening to their aspirations and ensuring developments created lasting benefits for the communities around them.
Speaking about what he enjoys most about his current role, Andrew was quick to highlight the team. For him, one of the most rewarding parts of leading Activate is watching the team continue to grow while delivering creative, bespoke projects that make a real difference to the places and clients they support.
Andrew also shared his admiration for independent retailers, praising their ability to solve genuine customer problems, adapt quickly and build brands with authentic stories and purpose.
When asked about the best piece of business advice he’s ever received, his answer was simple: always advocate for yourself – don’t expect someone else to do it for you.
Away from work, Andrew admits he’s most likely to suggest grabbing a tea or coffee before getting started and says he’d struggle without access to music and podcasts if stranded on a desert island; “I find real escapism in getting absorbed in other people’s stories and ideas.” As for who would play him in a film? Damian Lewis gets his vote.
One answer that perhaps sums Andrew up best came with the final question. Rather than describing himself in three words, he simply said he’d rather let others come to their own conclusions – “hopefully they’re kind ones.”
Read the full interview here, and to see more of the people behind Activate, take a look at Our Team page to discover the specialists helping to create places people want to visit, work in and enjoy.
