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He is the second executive to leave Bonhams to join the auction house’s expanding jewelry department.
Graeme Thompson has been named Phillips’ worldwide head of jewelry as the auction house develops the department.
New York—Phillips has announced the appointment of Graeme Thompson to the newly created role of worldwide head of jewelry.
He is based in Hong Kong.
Thompson joins Phillips from Bonhams, where he was the director of jewelry in Asia.
During his time there, Thompson built a team of international specialists and support staff to develop the department’s place in the auction world.
In his new role at Phillips, he will create a strategy for the auction house’s global jewelry business. He will be responsible for developing a global team in New York, London, Hong Kong and Geneva, working with new and existing clients on consignment opportunities and creating cross-marketing opportunities within Phillips.
“We are delighted that Graeme has joined Phillips at a time when we’re expanding rapidly across the globe,” Phillips CEO Edward Dolman said. “Graeme will offer the department strategic direction and a point of view to create an innovative and contemporary jewelry offering that will appeal to the growing collectors of art, watches and design.
“There is tremendous opportunity to build a highly competitive jewelry business with a modern sensibility in today’s auction market, and I believe Graeme has the expertise and creativity to help us reach the next level of development in our jewelry sales.”
The move comes as part of the auction house’s development and expansion of its jewelry department.
It has already held a few auctions in Hong Kong in the past two years, as well as its first sale in New York under Susan Abeles, who joined last year as head of the Americas and also came from Bonhams, in December.
Thompson will work closely with her as well as well as Terry Chu, who heads the jewelry department in Asia, and co-international business directors Myriam Christinaz and Bart van Son.
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