Phillips Sees Major Leadership Shakeup After a Shaky Auction Season
On Monday, Phillips announced several major changes to its leadership team, led by the resignation of global chairwoman Cheyenne Westphal, who is leaving the auction house after holding the position since 2017.
“I am grateful to my wonderful colleagues at Phillips for eight exceptional years and I now look forward to starting an exciting new chapter in the art world working with private collectors and artists directly,” Westphal said in a statement. “The art market is an ever changing industry and I look forward to being at the forefront of its next evolution.”
While the auction house has not yet named a new global chair, it did announce that Robert Manley was named chairman of modern and contemporary art, while Miety Heiden was appointed chairman of private sales.
CEO Martin Wilson said in a statement that Manley and Heiden’s promotions are “a testament to their exceptional expertise and dedication to the category of Modern and Contemporary Art. Their deep understanding of the market, coupled with their trusted relationships with collectors around the globe, has made a significant impact on our clients and the wider art and culture communities.”
Manley joined the auction house in 2016 as deputy chairman and senior international specialist of 20th century and contemporary art, after 16 years at Christie’s. He was most recently deputy chairman and worldwide co-head of modern and contemporary art.
Heiden, meanwhile, joined Phillips in 2017 as head of private sales after over 20 years at Sotheby’s where she served a senior vice president and head of contemporary private sales for North America. In a statement, the company touted that Phillips has increased its annual private sales by 46 percent and grown PhillipsX, its exhibition platform, from hosting just eight sales when she arrived in 2017 to 27 last year. Heiden helped organize the house’s well-regarded “New Terrains” selling show last year that focused on contemporary Indigenous art.
In addition to Westphal, Jean-Paul Engelen is also leaving the auction house after over a decade. Engelen is currently president for the Americas, and worldwide co-head of modern and contemporary art. He will join Acquavella Galleries as a director on July 1. During Engelen’s tenure at the house, he helped Phillips increase its auction sales by 72 percent worldwide between 2015 and 2021.
The leadership shakeup comes after a shaky marquee auction season this month. While last week’s modern and contemporary evening sale achieved its pre-sale estimate of $52 million, that figure was 40 percent below last year’s haul of $86 million at the equivalent May sale. The night did have a few bright spots, namely five records for women artists, including Kiki Kogelnik and Ilana Savdie. However, five lots failed to sell and four others were withdrawn prior to the auction.
The moves are also the second major leadership changes in just six months. In December, deputy CEO Amanda Lo Iacono stepped down after just a year in the position, and Wilson was named CEO after Ed Dolman, who held the dual position of CEO and executive chairman for the year, also resigned as CEO. (Dolman is still executive chairman.) Stephen Brooks stepped down as CEO in December 2023.
