Phillips has appointed Robert Manley as chairman of modern and contemporary art and Miety Heiden as chairman of private sales, following the departure of Cheyenne Westphal and Jean-Paul Engelen. Manley, who joined Phillips in 2016, has secured major consignments including the collection of Francesco Pellizzi and the Pop Art trove of Miles and Shirley Fiterman, while Heiden has driven a 46 percent growth in annual private sales. The appointments come after Phillips' $51.9 million Modern and Contemporary Evening Sale, which reinforced the auction house's strength in the contemporary segment.
The appointments signal Phillips' continued focus on modern and contemporary art as core business pillars amid shifting market dynamics. Private sales are increasingly important across the auction world, with Phillips reporting that 77 percent of its private sale buyers in 2024 were first-time clients, aligning with industry trends noted in the Art Basel & UBS market report. The leadership transition positions Phillips to deepen collector relationships and expand its global reach as private sales grow in significance relative to public auctions.