The staff turnaround continues apace at Phillips auction house. Michael McGinnis stepped down as president in November “to spend time with his family” and “pursue new challenges”. McGinnis founded the contemporary art department at Phillips in 1999 before becoming chief executive in 2012, a role he held until the arrival of Ed Dolman in 2014. In a statement, Dolman thanked McGinnis and said that he “built an incredible foundation”. Dolman has yet to announce a new president.
Continuing its hiring spree (in recent months Phillips has snaffled senior figures Hugues Joffre from Christie’s and Jean-Paul Engelen from Qatar Museums and, previously, Christie’s), the auction house hired Genevieve Janvrin to the new role of head of photographs for Europe in November. Janvrin, who is based in London, is responsible for expanding the department’s presence in Belgium, France, Switzerland and Germany. “There are a growing number of photography collectors in Europe and a demand for a secondary market presence,” Janvrin says.
Meanwhile, Phillips has also been expanding geographically with its first auction in Hong Kong on 1 December. The watch sale made a total $12.3m hammer ($15.2m with fees), below its $14.4m to $23.4m estimate. The sell-through rate was strong at 78%. The auction house is due to have its first art sale in Hong Kong early in 2016.
