Mona Benisi Joins Simon Property Group As Director Of Sustainability

INDIANAPOLIS, May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon Property Group. (NYSE: SPG), a global leader in retail real estate, announced today that Mona Benisi has been named its Director of Sustainability and will contribute to advancing Simon's goals for implementing sustainable practices and carbon footprint reduction across its retail property portfolio.

Benisi will be responsible for advancing and leading all aspects of Simon's comprehensive sustainability strategy, including the recycling, water management and renewable energy programs, and leading the company's Sustainability Task Force. She will also direct and manage measurement and reporting of critical sustainability metrics, including CDP, the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) and GRI.

Benisi previously served as a consultant in the Corporate Sustainability Office of Siemens Corporation in Munich, Germany, where she played a key role in the development and implementation of the company's sustainability strategy. Earlier in her career, Benisi was a Climate Corps Fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and held a position at The Earth Institute.

"Mona's expertise in building environmental programs and her passion for organizing sustainability efforts are fundamental to achieving Simon's objectives in this important area," said David Contis, President, Simon Malls. "We are confident that she can further advance Simon's progress in implementing green initiatives to fulfill our long-term goal of continued industry leadership in sustainability and energy efficiency."

Key components of Simon's ongoing sustainability platform include strategies to further reduce overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, expand recycling and enhance water management by incorporating sustainable practices into day-to-day property operations. Shoppers also contribute daily to Simon's sustainability efforts by using recycling receptacles available at all Simon properties, and by utilizing Simon's growing infrastructure of Electric Vehicle charging stations across the U.S. 

Benisi holds a B.A. in International Business from Georg-Simon-Ohm University in Nuremberg, Germany and a M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University in New York.

About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) is a S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry. We currently own or have an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America, Asia and Europe comprising approximately 241 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S. For more information, visit simon.com.

SOURCE Simon Property Group