Recent Key Departures at Phillips Point to a Pivot in Strategy
A series of leadership and senior-staff departures at Phillips—including private sales chairman Miety Heiden, Asia chairman Jonathan Crockett, chief technology officer Joseph Prindle, and global director of client strategy Katherine Thorpe Kerr—has fueled speculation that the auction house is shifting strategy. ARTnews reports that after years of trying to compete directly with Christie’s and Sotheby’s in 20th-century and contemporary art under CEO Ed Dolman (2014–2025), Phillips’ owners may be pulling back from costly tactics such as large guarantees for trophy consignments. Sources suggested the company could refocus on categories where it has strength and lower risk, including watches, prints and multiples, photography, and its e-commerce platform Dropshop, which recently collaborated with Cj Hendry on a third collection of 52 trading cards. Phillips is owned by the Russian luxury retailer Mercury Group, and one source linked internal change to Dolman’s departure and Bernd Runge’s increased influence after joining as COO in February 2025.
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This story was covered in Leadership Exits and Forgery Wars Shake Art World