Christie’s Strengthens Asia Management Lineup with New Appointments

HONG KONG.- Christie’s announced today that it will continue developing its business in Asia by strengthening its senior management lineup. To enhance the business-getting capability of our Chairman’s offices in Asia, François Curiel, currently Chairman of Christie’s Europe and France as well as International Head of the Jewellery Department, has been appointed as President, Asia and will relocate to Hong Kong at the end of January to fulfil this role and continue his leading role in the Jewellery Department. Andrew Foster, previously President, Asia, has been promoted to International Managing Director, Auction & Private Sales, where he will be responsible for the management of the company’s worldwide auctions & private sales, regional offices and client development.

Ken Yeh, currently Deputy Chairman, Asia and based in Hong Kong, has been promoted to Chairman, Asia while Theow H. Tow, based in New York where he is Deputy Chairman, Americas, has been appointed as Honorary Chairman, Asia. Both will be responsible for the company’s Asia client and business development activities. Jonathan Stone, currently International Business Director, Asian Art, has been promoted to Managing Director, Asia. Based in Hong Kong, he will be responsible for Christie’s Hong Kong and regional offices in Asia, and will continue in his role as International Business Director for Asian Art.

“These changes are intended to further align our organisational structure with our objectives – to lead the international art market, lead the regional art market and to grow our diversified businesses. Building on the excellent foundations that the Andrew Foster, Ken Yeh, Theow H. Tow and Jonathan Stone have built, François Curiel’s knowledge of the art and auction market, his global contacts and extensive experience at Christie’s worldwide makes him the ideal executive to take our business in Asia to the next level.” said Edward Dolman, Chief Executive Officer of Christie’s International.

Christie’s Asia Management Team

François Curiel
President, Asia
Born in France in 1948, François Curiel began his career at Christie’s as a jewelry specialist in London in 1969. After working in Madrid, Paris and Geneva, he moved to New York in 1977 to launch the jewellery department there. In 1989, he returned to Europe as Managing Director and International Head of Jewellery. In 1998, he was appointed Chairman of Christie’s Europe and in 2001, he took over the reins of Christie’s France, while maintaining his other responsibilities. In January 2010, he relocates to Hong Kong as President of Christie’s in Asia and is a member of Christie’s Executive Management Board. François Curiel was awarded the prestigious Antwerp Diamond Career Award in 1996 from the Diamond High Council in Belgium, a distinction given to fewer than ten international personalities. From 2001 to 2009, he was nominated by the French Minister of Justice to the French Market Auction Authority, the regulatory body which oversees the auction system in France, and in 2009, he also received the accolade of Officer of the Legion of Honour, France’s most prestigious decoration. Often described in the press as one of the greatest auctioneers of our time, he regularly holds the hammer for sales in Europe, Asia and America. He was named one of the seven top auctioneers in the world in 2006 by the Art Newspaper.

Ken Yeh
Chairman, Asia
Prior to his appointment as Chairman, Asia, Ken Yeh was Deputy Chairman for the company since 2005. As Chairman, he provides senior cross-category support in business-getting and buyer development, making maximum use of art expertise and client relationship and serving as a strong ambassador of exceptional client service. Mr. Yeh joined Christie’s New York in March 1997 as an art advisor for Asian clients. As a specialist in Impressionist & Modern Art, he is responsible for promoting the New York and London sales of Impressionist & Modern Art and Contemporary Art to Chinese clients worldwide. Mr. Yeh comes to Christie’s with a strong background in Impressionist & Modern art. In 1988, he established and managed the Eastlake Gallery in Manhattan specializing in French Impressionist and post-Impressionist art. As director of the gallery, he worked internationally with collectors, artists and museums advising on sales and acquisitions and has curated art exhibitions worldwide. Mr. Yeh holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in French Literature from Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, Taiwan. He was born in Taiwan and is fluent in French, English, Mandarin and Taiwanese.

Theow H. Tow
Honorary Chairman, Asia
As Honorary Chairman of Christie’s Asia, Theow H. Tow works closely with Christie’s Chinese Paintings and Works of Art Departments in New York, London, and Hong Kong. He also is a Director of Christie’s in Hong Kong and Singapore. Mr. Tow is responsible for international business development and participated in the establishment of Christie’s Hong Kong and Singapore offices. Mr. Tow has been instrumental in selling many important private collections. In 1996, he was responsible for the groundbreaking sale of The Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture Collection, which realised US$11.2 million and was the highest total for a single sale of Chinese works of art between 1996 and 2006. Mr. Tow was also instrumental in organising other important sales, such as those from the collections of Arthur M. Sackler in 1994 and again in a series of sales beginning in 2009 which have so far fetched over US$12 million, the Sze Yuan Tang Collection in 1995, the collections of Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Piccus in 1996 and Stephen Junkunc IV in 1995. He acts as a liaison with important collectors worldwide and across specialist categories, and was responsible for the consignment of Duccio’s ‘Madonna and Child’ which was sold by private treaty in 2004 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the record price of US$45 million. He joined Christie’s in 1980 as Head of the Department of Oriental Art at Christie’s East. He moved to another principal auction house in 1984 as Assistant Vice President in Chinese Works of Art. Returning to Christie’s in 1986, he was Vice President in charge of the Chinese Works of Art Department and was department head until August 1998. A native of Singapore where he was educated at the Anglo-Chinese School, Mr. Tow studied at the School of Art and Design at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. He holds a B.A. in Art History and Oriental Studies from Columbia University, New York.

Jonathan Stone
Managing Director, Asia and International Business Director of Asian Art
Jonathan Stone, Regional Managing Director, Asia and International Business Director of Asian Art, relocated to Hong Kong from London in February 2007. He also serves as Chairman of the Christie’s Asia Management Committee. Based in Hong Kong, Jonathan Stone plays a vital role in the general management, financial control, strategy and direction for business-getting and buyer focus activities for the Asian art specialist departments on a worldwide basis and now additionally for Hong Kong and Asia. Joining Christie’s after gaining a M.A. in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London, Mr. Stone served in London for ten years as a specialist and then head of department. Later, he was based in Tokyo as Representative Director of Christie’s Japan and took up his role as International Business Director in 2005. Before attending the Courtauld Institute of Art, Mr. Stone worked in a branded consumer products role in Japan for a number of years. He also holds a Master’s degree in History from Peterhouse, Cambridge University, and is fluent in Japanese.

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