Alexander Rotter Is New Global President of Christie’s

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Auction veteran Alexander Rotter is now the new Global President of Christie’s.

CEO Bonnie Brennan announced last week that the Austrian-born former global chairman of post-war and contemporary art has taken on the new role effective immediately.

Brennan said Rotter’s creative, strategic, and collaborative approach has been a key driver in the auction house’s success in recent years, and with collectors expanding across different categories it was the ‘perfect time to expand [Rotter’s] responsibilities’.

Rotter joined the auction house in 2017 after 16 years at Sotheby’s.

His contributions include redefining Christie’s sales strategy for post-war, modern, impressionist, and contemporary art by creating the 20/21 department, enabling curated sales across movements and categories.

Rotter oversaw defining moments in auction history, including the 2017 sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi (c. 1500) for $450 million (all figures USD), setting a record for the most expensive object sold at auction. 

Then in 2019, he contributed to breaking records for new highs for a living artist, overseeing the sale of Jeff Koons’ 1986 Rabbit for $91.1 million, followed by a 20th-century artwork in 2022, when Andy Warhol’s 1964 Shot Sage Blue Marilyn found a buyer at $195 million.

As Global President, Rotter will work with Christie’s Regional Presidents and Global Chairmen to ‘develop innovative strategies for auction and private sales’, while retaining his current responsibilities at the 20/21 department.

On his appointment, Rotter said ‘it is a privilege to be entrusted with this new role and responsibility and I am excited to work even more closely with my talented colleagues around the world.’

Christie’s marquee spring sale in New York is set to begin on 12 May. —[O]

Main image: Alexander Rotter. Courtesy Christie's. Photo: Robert Scheuerman.