AVP, Client Strategist

ABOUT SOTHEBY'S

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

THE ROLE

Sotheby’s Client Strategy team develops and implements strategies around existing clients and gathers intelligence on key high net worth individuals in order to generate commercial opportunities.  Partnering with areas of the business including Specialist Departments, Regional Offices, Marketing, Business Intelligence, Special Events, and other key business units, this team is responsible for spearheading initiatives to maximize Sotheby’s reach within its existing and prospective client base.

The primary responsibility of this role is close collaboration with client strategy colleagues, Business Development departments, and specialist teams to devise and execute strategic plans for key clients to maximize transactions for specific divisions and the company. They will also work to identify and research new leads, develop internal plans to coordinate client outreach, discover opportunities for collaboration with institutional clients, and encourage cross-departmental activity. This is an internal non-client facing role which relies on highly proficient Excel skills to extract and manipulate data to inform strategy combined with the ability to build effective partnerships with colleagues.

Utilizing Sotheby’s external data, this role will focus on client cultivation with the goal of increasing new client acquisition, improving existing client knowledge, sourcing business, and strategically targeting transactional opportunities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify priority institutions of national and local importance, refining a strategy for proactive sourcing, partnerships, and collaborations with these institutions and identifying opportunities for engagement
• Consider joint opportunities for the Museums and Corporate Art team and the local Regional teams to maximize client engagement and new client outreach
• Play an active, strategic role in the ideation and execution of regional events, which may include partnering with external institutions, working with Marketing and Events teams, creating targeted invitation lists, researching attendees, alerting staff of pre-determined clients of interest, attending the event, and soliciting internal feedback
• Provide strategic sale-related support, including tailored pre-sale targeting working with digital and AI tools, researching prospective bidders and executing post-sale meetings
• Partner with Client Strategists to do research for top client reviews, team meetings, regional meetings, and to support key auctions
• Share information and promote new business across regional, specialist, and other business units with a focus on priority clients in specific regions
• Identify and execute new client and sourcing initiatives and supplement existing client targeting
• Proactively and frequently communicate with specialists and Business Directors about relevant event, travel and visit opportunities and generate and suggest event ideas to facilitate the implementation of strategic plans
• Conduct top client reviews with individual RMs to identify gaps, progress and opportunities in their portfolio of clients
• Regularly and systematically review Collector/Rich lists, including Forbes, ArtNews Top 200, real estate listings, and other media to ensure the accuracy of Sotheby’s existing client data and identify potential new clients
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of client information in CRM throughout the year
• Support the team with regular reviews of “at risk” clients to assess progress of relationships

IDEAL EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor's Degree required, ideally in relevant area of study/interest.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in a related role within the art market.
• Excellent analytical, research, and interpersonal skills and the ability to identify and drive growth opportunities.
• Team player with a positive working rapport with colleagues.
• Superior organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks with speed and efficienc