NEW YORK, NY.- As a further commitment to expansion into the important Asian market, Phillips announced the appointment of Jonathan Crockett as Head of 20th Century & Contemporary Art and Deputy Chairman, Asia. He will start in his new role on May 9, 2016.

Based in Hong Kong, Mr. Crockett will work alongside Jean-Paul Engelen, Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art, and Hugues Joffre, Chairman of UK and Europe and Worldwide Head of 20th Century Art, to spearhead the company’s 20th Century and Contemporary Art initiatives in the region. He will focus on delivering best-in-class service and engagement opportunities to today’s discerning collectors. Working closely with Phillips’s global leadership team and specialist departments, Mr. Crockett will build the company’s brand with the goal of becoming a premier auction house in its categories in Asia. After Phillips’s first successful Hong Kong watch sale in 2015, the company looks forward to holding its inaugural sale of 20th Century and Contemporary Art.

“The importance of Asia to our 20th Century and Contemporary Art sales internationally and to our overall growth strategy cannot be overstated,” said Edward Dolman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Phillips. “The collecting of contemporary art in Asia has been growing at a spectacular rate and we are seeing more Asian collectors at our London and New York sales. A major priority for us has been to strengthen our presence in Asia and build relationships with collectors across the region—and a critical component in this ambitious plan is the appointment of an experienced leader such as Jonathan. I look forward to working with him and our entire Asian team to build our reputation as the most innovative auction house in the region.”

Mr. Crockett brings to Phillips more than a decade of experience in the fields of Asian and Western contemporary art, along with classical Chinese art. Most recently, he was Sotheby’s Director in Asia and a Senior Specialist of Contemporary Asian Art in London. In addition to his tenure at Sotheby’s, Mr. Crockett owned his own art advisory business in Hong Kong, working with individual collectors, auction houses and international galleries to broker sales of works of Asian and Western contemporary art. He started his career at Christie’s in London, where he provided support in advising clients on tax issues regarding assets and heritage property.

Recently, Phillips has been expanding its 20th Century and Contemporary Art team in Asia. In addition to Mr. Crockett, Phillips appointed Charlotte Raybaud as a Specialist in the 20th Century and Contemporary Art Department in Hong Kong. Most recently, Ms. Raybaud worked as a Specialist in Sotheby’s Contemporary Asian Art department. Earlier this month, Phillips announced the appointment of Kyoko Hattori as the regional representative in Japan as part of the company’s significant international expansion strategy. The company expects to continue to add specialists to its 20th Century and Contemporary Art team in Hong Kong in the next few months.

The 20th Century and Contemporary Art team will work alongside Sam Hines, the International Head of Phillips Watches, also based in Hong Kong, to support and develop clients in the region.