The Chinese art market is becoming increasingly important. This is especially true for auction houses. Phillips announced plans back in December to establish a new headquarters in Hong Kong's West Kowloon cultural district. Not coincidentally, the new M+ Museum is also located there. Now Sotheby's is also strengthening its presence in China, appointing Jean Qian as Managing Director, China, immediately.

Based in Shanghai, Jean Qian will lead the China team to drive Sotheby's local business expansion as part of the company's global strategy. Jean Qian will report to Nathan Drahi, Managing Director, Sotheby's Asia, and work closely with Asian and international colleagues to strengthen Sotheby's presence in China through strategic growth initiatives and expanding its client base. Nathan Drahi emphasized in a statement that China is "an important strategic focus for Sotheby's."

Jean brings more than 15 years of business development and management experience in various industries. Most recently, she was vice president of operations, China region, and Apac at Farfetch, a leading global platform for the luxury fashion industry. Before joining Farfetch, Jean spent more than ten years in management consulting, advising multinational companies in technology, media and telecommunications, luxury retail, and financial services, and gained extensive experience in cross-border business development in China.