Marc Porter has resigned his position as Chairman at Christie’s and will leave the company at the end of the year. Earlier this year, he stepped down as the head of Private Sales.
Porter is expected to join Sotheby’s some time in the next year (presuming he has a non-compete and it lasts roughly a year.) At the moment, Porter’s role at Sotheby’s has not been disclosed. But there’s a very good chance he will take a prominent position leading business development for the auction house.
Sotheby’s has been looking to revamp its private sales since its new CEO arrived in April. So it would not be a surprise to see him take a role in that aspect of Sotheby’s business as well.
Here is how Porter previously described his job at Christie’s:
Porter was Chairman and International Head of Private Sales at Christie’s and a member of the Board of Christie’s. He was appointed Chairman in January 2010, and served as President of Christie’s Americas for six years.
Porter was once a Trust & Estates lawyer before joining Christie’s in 1990. He is known for his extensive contacts in the field. At Christie’s, he won the estates of Liz Taylor, Frances Brody and Michael Crichton.
Update: Kelly Crow has this from Sotheby’s CEO Tad Smith:
.@Sothebys CEO confirms Marc Porter hire: “He will take on a role that will empower him to bring his decades of global experience” in art”
— Kelly Crow (@KellyCrowWSJ) December 7, 2015
Update: Christie’s confirms Marc Porter, Chairman of the Americas, has decided to leave Christie’s.
“We would like to thank Marc for his exceptional contribution to Christie’s over many years which has seen him lead the New York Trusts and Estates Department, the President’s Office and the Chairman’s Office of the Americas,” commented Jussi Pylkkanen, Global President, Christie’s.
“Marc’s responsibilities will be assumed by Brook Hazelton, President of Christie’s Americas and his high-caliber team of senior specialists and members of the Chairman’s Office as Christie’s continues to serve global collectors at all levels in the international art market.”
