Heiden previously worked at Sotheby’s where she had leadership roles in private sales, business development and managing client relationships for the New York and Hong Kong contemporary art evening and day sales.
The appointment reflects Phillips’ attempt to further break into the private sales arena, an area in which Sotheby’s and Christie’s have seen considerable growth over recent years.
"Private sales are an increasingly important part of our strategy,” said Phillips CEO Edward Dolman. “With 20 years of experience in the art market, Miety is uniquely suited to take on an important leadership role at our company.”
One of Phillips’ most notable private sales to date was the $15.75m deal they brokered for Diego Rivera’s Baile en Tehuantepec in 2016. This year the company held an exhibition of Gerhard Richter abstracts in New York which was the highest-value private selling show ever hosted by the company, with a combined total value of almost $100m.
