Christie’s has officially handed the reins to Bonnie Brennan, naming her chief executive officer as Guillaume Cerutti transitions out of his executive leadership role to take on an even broader range of responsibilities. Cerutti, tasked by François Pinault and François-Henri Pinault to lead their holding company, Artémis, will now implement and oversee a fresh organizational structure for artistic and cultural activities while serving as executive president of the Pinault Collection and remaining chairman of Christie’s board. Founded in 1992 by François Pinault, Artémis boasts a powerhouse portfolio including brands like Kering, Giambattista Valli, Courrèges, Ponant and Puma, along with estates, tech investments and the high-profile Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Naturally, Christie’s itself anchors this glittering lineup alongside ventures in media and hospitality.
Reflecting on his tenure, Cerutti spoke about the meaningfulness of his time at Christie’s in a press statement. “It has been a privilege and an absolute pleasure to serve as Christie’s Chief Executive Officer over the past eight years, working with an extraordinary team and achieving numerous successes at auction and in private sales while navigating some challenging moments,” he said at a morning press conference. He then expanded on his gratitude to the Pinault family, expressing his excitement about the “new responsibilities” entrusted to him. “I’m really excited for personal reasons and professional reasons. Christie’s has been extremely important to me. Knowing that we have this continuity and stability with someone who has shared this ambition and project over the last eight years is essential.”
Cerutti then pivoted to what he calls a return to his roots, sharing his enthusiasm for re-engaging with the nonprofit sector after nearly two decades in the for-profit world. “In my own trajectory, I worked for museums in the past, then worked at Christie’s for eighteen years. I’m now in a position where I can continue working closely with the Pinault family, dealing with their collection and representing them worldwide, still including Christie’s.”
“I am also proud to pass the baton to Bonnie, with whom I have worked closely for many years,” Cerutti went on. “She possesses all the qualities needed to uphold and expand Christie’s market leadership.”
Brennan brings a legacy of leadership that stretches across twelve years at Christie’s, preceded by fifteen years at Sotheby’s. Her remarks at the press conference projected humility and confidence: “It is an honor to be appointed as Christie’s CEO and to succeed Guillaume Cerutti, who has been an inspirational and effective leader, growing our business over the last eight years. I have been lucky to work closely with him, and I am grateful that we will continue this relationship.” She then highlighted Christie’s as an organization of unmatched passion and talent, noting, “To lead this extraordinary group of people is a privilege that I take very seriously. I look forward to building on our 259-year legacy of connecting exceptional art and objects to passionate audiences.”
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Throughout her career, Bonnie Brennan has been a force in business development, holding key leadership roles that cemented her reputation as a sharp strategist and a powerhouse executive. In 2021, she became president of Christie’s Americas, where she oversaw record-breaking sales, including landmark auctions of iconic collections like those of Ann and Gordon Getty, Anne H. Bass and Barney Ebsworth. Beyond the glittering sales figures, Brennan also drove Christie’s forward by championing its digital strategy and diversifying its offerings to engage a younger, more diverse clientele.
When asked about her approach to navigating a challenging art auction market in her new role, she replied: “We all saw challenges last year; we saw market headwinds and increased competition from various places, but to me, this is also a real opportunity for us to leverage our strength as an organization,” she explained with cool pragmatism. “We are so strong globally and [need] to capitalize on those moments, to innovate and to grow.” Brennan made it clear that technology—especially artificial intelligence—will be central to her strategy. “Whether this means engaging with new audiences in demographics, geographies, or technology, we all see the fast pace at which technology is coming at us. The focus will be to innovate, whether it’s with A.I. or the way we evolve and scale our calendar.” When addressing the “big elephant in the room,” she framed A.I. as a supplemental tool, designed to bolster business development efforts rather than replace the expertise of Christie’s seasoned client-facing teams. “How can it help the way we engage with our clients? To me, it’s still in a very supplemental seat… But it’s evolving quickly, and I’m very excited about how we can continue strengthening our business.”
Cerutti later emphasized his enduring commitment to Christie’s future growth. “Christie’s is the company I cherish so much that ensuring it’s kept in good hands for the next phase is very important to me. I want this company to continue to thrive and be successful,” he said. When prodded by a journalist about the chain of command, Cerutti clarified the delineation of responsibilities: his role as chairman involves defining and discussing strategic objectives, while the executive team, led by Brennan, is tasked with outlining those objectives and implementing plans.
Cerutti confirmed he would be based in Paris while Christie’s headquarters will remain in London, adding a geographical balance to Brennan’s New York base—a setup that underscores the global reach of the auction house. Looking ahead, Cerutti teased new possibilities for collaboration between Christie’s and Fondation Pinault, particularly in education and exhibitions, though he was careful to stress the independence of the two entities. “There will be subjects where we can have a project together at the same time, but the two organizations are run independently,” he said.
