Bonhams is an auctioneer that offers auction services to trade fine arts and antique goods.

This case study explores the placement of Interim Chief People Officer. The company offers services relevant to auction estimates, appraisals, corporate art collections, insurance valuations, private collections and house sales, tax and heritage advice, and museum collections, awareness, and fund-raising.

Bonhams sells products under several departments such as antiquities, arms and armours, Asian art, books, decorative art, ethnographic art, jewellery, furniture, musical instruments, coins, wine and whiskey, natural history, and more.

Bonhams was founded in 1793 and is headquartered in London with offices and representatives in America, South Asia, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle-East, and Africa.

The brief

Renoir were engaged to provide an Interim Chief People Officer to cover a maternity leave for seven months focussing on transformation, acquisition integration and international expansion.

The solution

As with all of our projects we approached the assignment with a thorough yet swift methodology. First, our knowledge of the Technology candidate network within the target company landscape was a key starting point. We also mapped out various relevant businesses, focused on transformation and change based across Europe.

We approach the most interesting and qualified candidates who are both tried and tested and available at short notice and from a thoroughly vetted long list of candidates, we interviewed and selected three candidates to have an initial interview with Jennifer Buckley.

The outcome

The selection process progressed with two candidates at second interview with Andre Bodson, their newly appointed Chief Transformation Officer followed by a third stage with India Phillips, Global Head of Impressionist & Modern Art the following day. The successful candidate was offered and accepted with the whole process from initial brief to offer taking less than three weeks.