Phillips Auction House Faces Leadership Exodus as Owners Rethink Strategy

Phillips has seen a wave of senior departures, including chairman of private sales Miety Heiden, chairman for Asia Jonathan Crockett, chief technology officer Joseph Prindle, and global director of client strategy Katherine Thorpe Kerr. The shakeup follows Ed Dolman's exit as CEO in 2025 and the arrival of Bernd Runge as COO and main adviser to shareholders. Sources say the house is pivoting away from chasing trophy consignments to focus on watches, prints, photography, and e-commerce platform Dropshop. Phillips is owned by Russian luxury retailer Mercury Group. In May, its New York sales totaled $145.6 million, up 90 percent year over year by lot, with the evening sale alone making $115.2 million. Phillips has elevated Cherry Lam to general manager of Asia. In the next four months, Phillips will host three live auctions in Hong Kong, compared to 11 for Sotheby's and 12 for Christie's. In 2025, Phillips held nine live auctions; in 2026, the total has dropped to eight. Advisers suggest Phillips should institutionalize client relationships, decentralize authority, and evolve private sales into year-round wealth management. The departures create short-term continuity risk ahead of October's Frieze Week evening sale.