Bonhams has named the Swiss-born luxury retail veteran Chabi Nouri its next global CEO, effective in October. She will be based in Bonhams' headquarters in New Bond Street, London. 

Prior to joining the international auction house, Nouri was CEO of Piaget, a watch and jewelry company owned by Richemont. After seven years there, she became a private equity partner at the Mirabaud Group, a Swiss private bank. She also held several managerial positions during her ten years at Cartier, where she started her career.

Bonhams' former CEO Bruno Vinciguerra stepped down after five years in the position this past February, and Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, the auction house's executive chair, has filled in in the interim. 

A graduate of the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, Nouri began her career in 1998 as a watch product manager for Cartier. Subsequently, she joined Cartier International – within the Richemont family – and left there as Jewellery Group Manager. At Cartier, her role was to develop global strategies for the Maison's famed High Jewellery and other collections. 

She departed from the luxury brand to work as global head of brand for Vogue Cigarettes at BAT in 2009 but returned to the Richemond group in 2014 as Global Brand Equity, Marketing Jewelry, and Communications Director. Three years later, she became the first-ever female CEO of any Richemont's watch and jewelry brands.

At the helm of Piaget, her mission was to modernize and rejuvenate Piaget while capitalizing on its history and unique heritage – pretty much in line with Bonhams' core values: innovation while honoring its centuries-old heritage.  

One of the most impressive campaigns Piaget launched under her tenure was the Extraordinary Women. Bringing together ten exceptional women in their respective fields, from design and cinema to art, music, and artistry, the well-received international campaign shone a spotlight on shifting perceptions of feminity, seeking to inspire and empower other women to blaze their trails. 

Her next venture was the Swiss private bank Mirabaud Group, where she joined Mirabaud Asset Management's Private Equity division as partner and co-managed the Lifestyle Private Equity franchise alongside David Wertheimer, the son of one of Chanel's billionaire owners. 

With proven abilities as a strong brand builder and in-depth knowledge of the lifestyle world, she utilized her expertise to help identify and support the growth of companies that were revolutionizing lifestyle, and in particular pioneering companies in tech and digital sectors.  

Now arriving at the 231-year-old British auction house, Nouri said in a statement, "I am delighted to be joining Bonhams, which has a long heritage, rich history and strong values as an auction house, as well as a reputation as an innovator. Its focus on digital transformation, global reach and passion, nurtured by its extraordinary talents, makes it an exceptionally exciting and dynamic company. I look forward to building on these strong foundations and focusing on Bonhams’ core DNA."

Since Bruno Vinciguerra took over the helm at Bonhams in 2018, he expanded the house's global presence by rapidly acquiring mid-sized regional auction houses, such as Skinner in Massachusetts and Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris and Brussels. Now, Bonhams has fourteen salerooms worldwide with representatives in more than thirty countries, presenting over sixty categories of collectibles ranging from classic cars and luxury to Buddhist art and even weapons. 

This acquisition spree proved successful especially last year, when Bonhams achieved a US$1.14 billion annual turnover – a 14% year-on-year increase from 2022 and the best-ever result in the auction house's history. Several key indicators also witnessed significant growth, including registration levels, annual sales total of Asia-Pacific, total number of buyers from Asia-Pacific, total number of millennials and Gen Z buyers, and total number of lots sold online. 

Whether or not Nouri will carry on the strategy remains to be seen, but what can be expected is how she breathes new life into luxury, one of the most important categories at Bonhams.