Regional Managing Director/Business Director, Asian and World Art

The Role

Reporting directly to the GMD based in Asia, the RMD/BD is responsible for ensuring the implementation of strategic change, people management and financial performance of the Asian and World Art Department across Asia.

Specific duties & responsibilities include but are not limited to

Business Strategy and Planning

• Participate in the development of, and lead where appropriate, strategic initiatives for the Departments as directed by the GMD, ensuring alignment with company strategic and financial goals.
• Increase sales and profitability by following a business plan agreed upon by the GMD with the Specialist Heads of Departments.
• Ensure delivery of profitability by increasing revenues and controlling costs at levels determined in the agreed business plans.
• Work with the GMD and Marketing Department in preparing and delivering all internal and external communications for significant events.
• Identify, develop and implement improvements to operational systems for the departments.

Financial and Commercial Management

• Assist, manage and lead proposals and pitches for business as appropriate, within the financial and commercial parameters established by the Commercial office and the GMD.
• Work with the Specialist Heads of department and GMD in establishing annual and sale specific budgets including sales revenue and expense budgets, staffing needs, and marketing plans.
• Oversee and endorse seller agreements. Work with GMD on any requests that vary from the standard terms and conditions of sale and prepare and present materials at SBF as needed.
• Oversee and endorse Private Sales and work with GMD on any requests that vary from the standard terms and conditions of sale.
• Plan and develop new types of sales when opportunities are identified.
• Analyze strategic research and market data to determine the contributions that departments can make to Christie's. Work closely with the specialists and partner with the CSD and BI teams to derive market strategies and client prospect lists.
• Provide adequate financial information to the Specialists (and GMD where applicable) to control costs and manage risk.
• Ensure full adherence to KYC, Due Diligence and Cultural Patrimony requirements.
• Closely monitor pre-sale forecasts and provide weekly updates.
• Ensure that statistics are available for each sale to enable adequate and accurate debriefings post sale including pre/post sale statistics of competitors to understand competitive landscape.
• Produce quarterly Board quality Review Report of your areas.
• Working with Finance and other support departments, produce any other ad hoc reports and analyses as required by the GMD.

Leadership and People Development

• Facilitate cross departmental and international collaboration. Strong and proven negotiation skills.
• Lead and manage internal and external communication to implement the strategy and business plan for the Department. Key representative of the department at the most senior levels in the region.
• Establish appropriate performance review structures to ensure Specialist and administrative staff have clear objectives and development plans, aligned with the strategic plans.
• Ensure that guidelines for sale composition and adherence to sale related deadlines are maintained.
• Oversee management of Department Consultants, if any (Independent Contractors).
• Management responsibility for Business Managers / Sale Coordinators.

The Candidate

• A Master’s Degree in Business Management or equivalent field; or an undergraduate degree with a minimum of 8 years of related commercial work experience.
• Strong and proven strategic vision and commercial awareness.
• Record of successful implementation and management of change.
• Strong management expertise.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills. Highly collaborative.
• Financial acumen and experience of formulating, implementing, and managing budgets.
• Ability to solve problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Understanding of the Auction Business strongly preferred.
• Appreciation/understanding of the Asian and World Art sector is an advantage.
• Knowledge of E-mail, Spreadsheet, Word Processing and Presentation software (Microsoft Office).
• Ability to create and analyze Excel spreadsheets, reports and business correspondence.
• Fluent in spoken and written English and Chinese
• If we process sensitive personal data about you, as well as ensuring that one of the grounds for processing mentioned above applies, we will make sure that one or more of the grounds for processing sensitive personal data applies, including that the processing is for equality and diversity purposes to the extent permitted by law
• If you are successful in your application, your data will be kept on your personnel file.  If you are unsuccessful. Your data may be kept on file for future recruitment purposes up to 2 years after you have been informed that you are unsuccessful and will then be destroyed, unless you inform us otherwise.  As a global organization with a presence in more than 40 countries, we may in the normal course of our business transfer your personal data to other members of our group, specifically any senior management for the department and for the Christie’s Group company, and to other organizations who need to process your data to enable us to fulfil our recruitment practices and to obtain approval for new hires and remuneration levels.  [Your data will also be held on Christie’s servers located in the USA]