NEW YORK, June 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sotheby's (NYSE:
BID) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jan Prasens as
Managing Director of Sotheby's Europe, including the Company's operations in
the Middle East, Russia, India
and Africa. While he will be based in London, Jan's responsibilities will extend
across each of these regions, where he will lead and develop both
Sotheby's activities and staff. A seasoned member of Sotheby's
senior management team, Jan has spent the past decade building
Sotheby's Financial Services from a small lender focused on
supporting auction transactions, to the largest asset-backed lender
in the art market today.
"While Jan's commercial credentials are impeccable, he
also commands a deep understanding of our business and clients,"
said Tad Smith, Sotheby's CEO.
"Over the course of his 20-year career at Sotheby's, he has worked
with nearly every single specialist department and built
relationships with some of our most important clients, negotiating,
along the way, some of the largest consignments in Sotheby's
history. I am delighted he is taking on this position where I
know he will thrive alongside the exceptional team already on the
ground there."
Jan joins a highly experienced leadership team in
Europe and complements the
expertise and deep client relationships held by Sotheby's
outstanding Chairman's Office, with whom he will be working to
ensure effective business strategy and development, as well as the
best possible service to Sotheby's many clients across
Europe, the Middle East, Russia, India
and Africa. Among those with whom
he will be working particularly closely are: European Chairmen
Helena Newman, Oliver Barker, Mario
Tavella (France) and
Philipp Wurttemberg (Germany), as
well as International Chairman, Robin
Woodhead, Harry Dalmeny (UK & Ireland), Claudia Dwek (Italy), Caroline
Lang (Switzerland), Mark Poltimore
(Russia and Scandinavia),
Edward Gibbs (Middle East & India) and Jean
Fritts (Africa).
Prior to his post leading Sotheby's Financial Services,
Jan began his tenure at Sotheby's in the Corporate Finance team,
becoming Treasurer in 2006. The following year, he assumed
the position of Managing Director of Sotheby's Financial Services
where, over the ensuing decade, he has overseen the funding of
more than $3 billion in new loans and
has seen the loan portfolio balance and operating profit increase
by more than four and seven times respectively.
A search is currently underway to identify and recruit new
leadership for Sotheby's Financial Services. In the interim,
Jan will continue to oversee the management of that business and
will act in a senior oversight role
thereafter.
About Sotheby's
Sotheby's has been uniting collectors with world-class
works of art since 1744. Sotheby's became the first international
auction house when it expanded from London to New
York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international
fine art auction house in China
(2012). Today, Sotheby's presents auctions in 10 different
salesrooms, including New York,
London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby's BidNow program allows
visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from
anywhere in the world. Sotheby's offers collectors the resources of
Sotheby's Financial Services, the world's only full-service
art financing company, as well as the collection advisory services
of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby's
presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories,
including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Global Fine Art
Division, and two retail businesses, Sotheby's Diamonds and
Sotheby's Wine. Sotheby's has a global network of 80 offices in 40
countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (BID).
New York | +1 212
606 7176 | Lauren Gioia |
Lauren.Gioia@Sothebys.com | Dan
Abernethy | Dan.Abernethy@Sothebys.com
London | +44 207 293
6000 | Mitzi Mina |
Mitzi.Mina@Sothebys.com |
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SOURCE Sotheby's