Christie’s appoints new global head of wine and spirits in Hong Kong

By James Lawrence

Published: 25 January, 2022

Leading auction house Christie’s has welcomed Adam Bilbey into its ranks, appointed as the new head of the wine and spirits department in Hong Kong.

Effective from today (25 January), Bilbey will oversee and innovate strategic initiatives of the fine wine and spirits category. According to the auction house, he will “lead Christie’s global wine specialist teams to win consignments, drive sales, uplift client acquisition and engagement for live and online auctions, and private sales, with the aim of solidifying Christie’s market position and expanding the wine business worldwide.”

François Curiel, Chairman of Christie’s Europe, commented: “Building upon the strong contribution by APAC clients in our global luxury auctions in 2021, and the historic results achieved at the largest wine auction ever held at Christie’s King Street [London] last December, we are determined to elevate our luxury business to the next level, particularly the wine and spirits category in Asia.

“We are delighted to welcome Adam on board, and given his abundant experience, expertise, and extensive network in the industry, we are confident that our global presence in this category will grow and strengthen under his leadership.”

Bilbey has an impressive CV, including widespread experience in Asia from his tenure at Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) in Hong Kong, and Japan. Bilbey moved to Hong Kong in 2010, working as sales manager for BBR. He was promoted to the role of sales director in 2013.

Prior to joining Christie’s, Bilbey held the position of head of wine and spirits at Sotheby’s Asia, orchestrating some of the largest and most important sales to come to market in recent years, including Transcendent Wines (sale total over US$20M).

“It is with great excitement that I join Christie’s and in particular the fantastic wine and spirits department that is steeped in such history,” he said.

“I look forward to working with the global wine specialist teams to bring to market the world’s greatest wine and spirits collections, and presenting them to our clients all over the world. I have watched with admiration the great work Francis Belin and the Asia Team have done over recent times, and I look forward to contributing to their continued success.”

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