Bonhams makes two key appointments in the US

Auction house has made two key international appointments – Patrick Meade takes on the role of chief executive officer for Bonhams in the United States and James Hendy will be moving from his position as head of Bonhams in Australia to take over as chief operating officer of Bonhams’ US business.

Since November of 1999, Meade has served as Bonhams’ COO and senior vice president of business development, working with Group CEO Malcolm Barber and the Bonhams executive team on the company’s US strategy, while overseeing individual departments’ consignments for sales. He has acted as an auctioneer for many of the company’s San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York-based sales, and he serves on the Bonhams US and UK boards of directors.

Meade has undertaken the development of many new specialist departments in New York and has hired a team of recognized and accomplished specialists and directors. With his team, he has increased Bonhams’ US turnover exponentially in the last 10 years.

Prior to joining Bonhams, Meade was senior vice president at an international auction company in New York, where he managed its decorative arts departments. This role was preceded by his position as president at an affiliated company, during which he oversaw 50 sales annually, and worked as a 19th-century paintings specialist and general appraiser for its Trusts and Estates Division. Before that, Meade was a general appraiser at a U.K.-based auction house.

Hendy arrives in the US following a hugely successful time in Australia. He proved himself to be a vital asset to Bonhams in Australia, where, as CEO, he took the company from a start-up to market dominance within three years.

Hendy has worked in the fine art world since 1997, originally starting out at Bonhams in London, where he was trained as an English and Continental furniture specialist and general valuer and auctioneer.

Following several years working for a London art dealer, Hendy moved to Australia in 2004 to take a position at Bonhams & Goodman in Sydney. In 2010, he took on the role of CEO for Bonhams Australia, and within three years, he successfully led them to become the market leader. Last year, Hendy was auctioneer for Australia’s largest-ever, single-owner art auction.

Commenting on these two appointments, Barber said: “We are fortunate to have two such very able people to lead our operation in this vital market. The USA represents a growing slice of Bonhams’ business internationally and we are delighted to announce the appointment of these two exceptional talents to lead the next phase of our development in the U.S.A.”