Bonhams has appointed luxury industry veteran Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, former CEO of Baselworld, as non-executive chairman of the London-based auction house.

He will assume the position following Bruno Vinciguerra’s promotion from executive chairman to Global CEO of Bonhams in February. That move came with the departure of the auction houses’s former global chief executive Matthew Girling, who served in the position for five years and was at the company for three decades.

Hoejsgaard has a long roster of executive positions in the luxury and consumer goods industry. Currently, he serves as Chairman of Switzerland-based Calida Group, a lingerie and textile company, and as non-executive director of Barclays Bank Switzerland. Previously, he served as interim CEO of Baselworld, beginning in 2018, a move that coincided with the brand’s owner, MCH Group’s report of a 17% decline profit in their H1 2018 financial report. Prior to that, he held executive positions at Connecticut’s Timex Group, Copenhagen-based Georg Jensen Ltd., and Lancaster Group, owner of Paris-based cosmetics company Coty Inc. From 2011 to 2017, served as CEO of Swiss cigar brand Oettinger Davidoff AG in Switzerland.

“[Hoejsgaard’s] direct experience of the art market and broader global luxury-goods track record will be invaluable to us as we progress the transformation of Bonhams,” said Bruno Vinciguerra, Bonham’s Global CEO in a statement.  Typically, the role of non-executive chairman is to serve as mentor for the company’s CEO and board of directors, acting as an independent advisor for the company’s executive leadership. Bonhams did not provide further details on Hoeijsgaard’s duties in his new role.

Meanwhile, Vinciguerra, who joined Bonhams as executive chairman in September 2018, following the company’s acquisition by London-based private equity firm Epiris, is leading key changes at the house. Recent new appointments under Vinciguerra’s direction include ex-Christie’s Marc Sands as chief marketing officer and Chris Tolson as chief technology office. According to Bonham’s statement, the new hires are directing the development of the houses’s new digital-marketing platforms and expanding tech initiatives.

Prior to his tenure at Bonhams, Vinciguerra served as chief operating officer at Sotheby’s from 2007 to 2015, where he contributed to the house’s expansion in mainland China, with headquarters established first in Bejing.