Sotheby's Expands Team In Asia

Yasuaki Ishizaka Appointed Chairman & Managing Director of Sotheby's Japan

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Aug 23, 2018, 09:00 ET

HONG KONG, Aug. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sotheby's (NYSE: BID) is pleased to announce that Yasuaki Ishizaka will rejoin the Company as Chairman and Managing Director, Sotheby's Japan. Based in Tokyo, Mr. Ishizaka will be responsible for leading the local team and driving Sotheby's business and presence in Japan. He will also play a key role in Sotheby's business development strategy working closely with the Company's international leadership. Mr. Ishizaka begins with Sotheby's in early September.

Sotheby's expands team in Asia with the appointment of Yasuaki Ishizaka as Chairman & Managing Director of Sotheby's Japan

"Sotheby's leadership in Japan – one of the greatest locations of Eastern and Western collections, as well as home to some of the world's most refined art, jewelry, wine, and car enthusiasts – will only grow stronger with Aki's appointment," said Tad Smith, Sotheby's CEO.

Mr. Ishizaka rejoins Sotheby's from his eponymous art advisory business, which he launched in 2015. From 2005 to 2014, Mr. Ishizaka was the President and Managing Director of Sotheby's Japan, where he played a key role in driving the Company's performance. He has strong ties with major Japanese collectors, having introduced many of them to the auction world.

"We are delighted to welcome Aki back to Sotheby's," said Kevin Ching, CEO of Sotheby's Asia. "Not only is Aki an art world veteran with over three decades in the field, he also has extensive experience in both auction and private sales businesses. His expertise and deep relationships with collectors will be extremely valuable for our further growth in Japan." Valentino Carlotti, Sotheby's Global Head of Business Development added, "Aki will be an outstanding addition to our team of Chairmen who play a critical role in driving our business internationally."

"I am tremendously excited to return to Sotheby's – a place that is both familiar and new, as the company continues to chart exciting and innovative paths around the world," commented Yasuaki Ishizaka. "I look forward to working with the talented team in Asia and around the world to further develop the Japanese market and strengthen its standing on the global stage."

Mr. Ishizaka began his career at the Japanese trading company, Mitsubishi Corporation, where he spent seven years before turning to the art world and opening his own gallery in 1987. He focused on a number of established and emerging artists, including Sigmar Polke. Throughout his career, he successfully placed works by major artists, including Gerhard Richter, Yayoi Kusama, Andreas Gursky, and Georg Baselitz, among others, in Japanese public museums, and was also instrumental in building a Japanese corporate collection of American Contemporary art in the mid-1990s.

Mr. Ishizaka serves as councilor of Yusaku Maezawa's Contemporary Art Foundation, and advisor to a number of major Japanese private museums. He has served as a part-time lecturer on art business at Tokyo University of the Arts for over a decade, and has written extensively on the topic. Educated in Japan, Germany, Great Britain and the United States, he holds a law degree from Seikei University in Tokyo.

About Sotheby's

Sotheby's has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby's became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby's presents auctions in 11 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby's BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world. Sotheby's offers collectors the resources of Sotheby's Financial Services, the world's only full-service art financing company, as well as the collection, artist, estate & foundation advisory services of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby's presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Global Fine Art Division, and three retail businesses: Sotheby's Wine, Sotheby's Diamonds, and Viyet, the online marketplace for interior design. Sotheby's has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

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