HONG KONG.- Phillips announced the appointments of Cindy Yen and Charlene Lau as Senior Specialists for the Jewellery and Watches teams in Asia, among the world’s most important markets for the acquisition of fine jewellery.

Ms. Yen will become a Senior Specialist for Watches and Jewellery and General Manager for Phillips in Taiwan, an increasingly important market in Asia. She joins the company after spending almost 10 years at Sotheby’s, where she was Deputy Director and Senior Specialist in the Jewellery Department in Hong Kong. Ms. Lau, based in Hong Kong, came to Phillips from Poly Auction, where she was a Senior Jewellery Specialist. Prior to her tenure at Poly Auction, Ms. Lau spent three years as a Jewellery Specialist for Christie’s in Hong Kong.

The appointments are part of Phillips’ significant expansion in Asia. In the past 18 months, Phillips hired Jonathan Crockett as Deputy Chairman and Head of 20th Contemporary & Contemporary Art in Asia, along with Sam Hines as International Head of Watches, both based in Hong Kong. Phillips also created a Hong Kong Jewellery Department in Hong Kong last year, hiring Terry Chu as Head of the Jewellery Department in Hong Kong and Anellie Manolas as a specialist. They led the company’s first-ever Jewellery Sale in Asia in November 2016, which coincided with Phillips’ successful auction of watches and 20th Century & Contemporary Art and Design.

“I am delighted that Cindy and Charlene have joined Phillips to help Terry build a world-class jewellery department in Asia,” said Myriam Christinaz, International Business Director of Jewellery and Watches. “It’s important for us to build relationships with collectors across the region and this experienced team of specialists will help us reach our ambitious goals for the region.”

“I’m pleased that we are creating a well-rounded offering by building our jewellery department in Asia to complement the great success we’ve had with watches,” said Sam Hines, Deputy Chairman and International Head of Watches. “Our joint approach of selling watches and jewellery will appeal to Asia’s ever-expanding world of collectors of art, design and fine jewellery.”