Matt Ehrie

Federal Realty Investment Trust has hired Matt Ehrie as the vice president and general manager of Assembly Row in Somerville.

“With a neighborhood like Assembly Row that is continuously evolving, our goal was to find a general manager that can understand the perspectives of each customer, employee [and] tenant, as well as the surrounding community,” Don Briggs, president of Federal Realty – Boston, said in a statement. “Matt’s experience from the sales floor to manager to vice president provides him a unique background that is necessary when you’re part of a mixed use development.”

Ehrie most recently worked for Westfield Corp. LLC, one of the world’s leading shopping center companies, for 15 years. He grew within the company from general manager of Westfield’s concession program at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. to his most recent role as vice president and general manager of Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose, Calif.

“It’s important to create a sense of community when creating an entirely new neighborhood. From what I have seen so far, Assembly Row has done a spectacular job of building that here in Somerville,” Ehrie said in a statement. “I am eager to get to know the intricacies and unique community of Somerville and Assembly Row and excited to be part of the sustained success and continued evolution of The Row.”