Tennant co-founder, Kahina Oswin, is a leading property professional with over a decade of experience managing $4B+ in retail assets across the New Zealand and Australian markets.
A former “insider” for major landlords like Frasers Property and Kiwi Property, she now uses that specialised playbook to serve as the ultimate strategic advocate for retail tenants.
Kahina served as Leasing Manager – Retail for Kiwi Property, overseeing an expansive $3B+ portfolio. This role involved high-level strategic management of New Zealand’s most iconic retail destinations, including Sylvia Park (the nation’s largest shopping centre), The Base in Hamilton, and LynnMall in Auckland.
Her tenure provided her with an unparalleled, “insider” view of the NZ landlord landscape and access to critical shopping centre performance benchmarks. By managing leasing across major regional hubs and office assets in Auckland and Wellington, Kahina developed the deep market intelligence that now allows Tennant to provide retailers with a sophisticated, data-driven edge in any negotiation.
Kahina executed a comprehensive tenancy remix across this 14,600sqm premium CBD precinct, which includes three freehold assets: Central Park Mall, DUO Retail, and Park Lane Retail. Anchored by Woolworths and Palace Central Cinema, the project required a sophisticated strategic overhaul to optimise the retail mix in one of Sydney’s most competitive environments.
The results were immediate and measurable, delivering a 26% gross rental uplift within the first year of the remix. This project highlights Kahina’s ability to drive significant P&L growth through precise market positioning and high-value deal execution within a complex, multi-asset portfolio.
Kahina led the landmark leasing campaign for this 13,000sqm mixed-use neighborhood center, designed to be the world’s most sustainable shopping destination. This complex project required securing 45 specialty tenancies – anchored by Woolworths, Dan Murphy’s, and Reading Cinemas – under strict LBC Petal Certification mandates.
To realise this vision, Kahina managed the implementation of sustainability-compliant fitouts, the elimination of single-use plastics, and the adoption of embedded networks across the center. Her strategic oversight turned these rigorous environmental requirements into a commercial success, contributing to approximately $30M in total annual gross rent secured across her work.
Kahina played a foundational role in the development of this $1.5B, 40,000sqm mixed-use precinct. She created the entire tenancy schedule and leasing budget from scratch, securing critical board endorsement for a comprehensive 100+ shop strategy.
Following this strategic planning, Stage 1 successfully opened in April 2021 with 45 tenants. This project demonstrates Kahina’s ability to drive large-scale retail developments from initial financial modeling and high-level strategy through to physical launch and operational success.
Contact the Tennant team today to help you secure the right retail location on the best possible terms, all while optimising store systems to protect and grow your margins.
