SOTHEBY'S Asia has appointed a new managing director in a significant reorganisation of its Asian management team.
Sir Andrew Ma will be joined by other new appointments including Tetsuji Shibayama, managing director of Sotheby's Japan, and Yarman Vaccha, finance director of Sotheby's Asia, in a move designed to add depth to the organisation and ensure cost controls.
Sir Andrew was most recently employed as a senior consultant to the United Nations Development Programme, and previously worked for the Hong Kong Development Council and Landor Associates.
He comes to Sotheby's when its Asian enterprise is expanding rapidly.
Hong Kong has been mooted as a possible third hub in its international operations, joining London and New York.
Sir Andrew's plans for Sotheby's Asia centre on increasing its operations in China.
He said China was becoming increasingly important both as a source of art objects and as the home of many new and wealthy art collectors.