NEW YORK, NY.- Phillips announced that Worldwide Co-Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Jean-Paul Engelen, has been elevated to Deputy Chairman, Americas, in addition to his current role as Worldwide Co-Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art. The promotion reflects the extraordinary growth of the department and its central role in the company’s global growth strategy.

Under the leadership of Mr. Engelen, in partnership with his Worldwide Co-Head Robert Manley, the department has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years. Phillips’ London auction last month of 20th Century & Contemporary Art was up 105% from a year earlier, and its May 2017 sale in New York advanced 136% from the year-ago period. Both Mr. Engelen and Mr. Manley will continue to lead the department as Phillips strengthens its team of international specialists and expands its range of art and expertise available to collectors.

“Jean-Paul has built an extraordinary team in his two years with Phillips and played a leading role in establishing a world-class 20th Century & Contemporary Art department,” said Cheyenne Westphal, Phillips Global Chairman. “As a Deputy Chairman, Jean-Paul will be a key member of our global leadership team and will work to build our international 20th Century and Contemporary strategy. He will also continue to develop long term relationships with our top clients so we can continue to grow and expand our client base in this critical segment. Both Jean-Paul and Robert Manley are informed, passionate and devoted to helping collectors, and they will drive our ambitious and creative plans to build the strongest contemporary department in the business.”

Mr. Engelen, with more than two decades of market experience in the auction and private sectors, joined Phillips in August of 2015. With extensive experience working with artists of our time, Mr. Engelen came to Phillips from Qatar Museums, where he was Director of Public Art Programs, beginning in 2011. In this role, he was responsible for a significant public art installation program, the establishment of an Artist in Residence program and space, and Contemporary Art exhibitions. He worked directly with top international contemporary artists on notable exhibitions including Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Cai Guo Qiang, and Takashi Murakami. And he oversaw over three dozen site-specific public art installations, including “East West West East” by Richard Serra, “The Miraculous Journey” by Damien Hirst, and “Salwa Road Murals” by eL Seed. Prior to Qatar Museums, he spent 16 years at Christie’s, with his last four years in the role of Senior Specialist & Director of Post-War and Contemporary Art.

Phillips has been actively building its 20th Century & Contemporary Art department. Along with Mr. Manley, the company hired Scott Nussbaum as Senior Specialist and Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art in New York, and Dina Amin, Head of Department in London. Ms. Westphal, formerly Worldwide Director of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s, joined the company as Chairman in March 2017, based in London.