Just as the football world sees heightened transfer activity in summer and winter, the auction industry also experiences a flurry of personnel changes during these seasons. The Value has learned from reliable sources that Francis Belin, President of Christie’s Asia-Pacific, will be stepping down from his position.

In reply to The Value’s inquiry, Christie’s confirmed that Belin has decided to leave his current role in the coming September. The auction house expressed its sincere gratitude for Belin’s outstanding contributions and wished him every success in the future.

In the interim, Christie’s Asia-Pacific business will be jointly led by Kevin Ching, Chairman of Asia, and Audrey Shum, Managing Director of Asia-Pacific, until a suitable successor for the role of Asia-Pacific President is appointed.

On this occasion, we look back at Belin’s distinguished resume — one that has stood out since his university days.

Born in France, Francis Belin studied at ESSEC Business School, one of the most prestigious institutions in Europe, which is known for nurturing prominent political and business figures, including L’Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus, former Carrefour CEO Michel Bon, President of Coca-Cola Europe Dominique Reiniche, former Ivorian Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny, and former French Minister of Culture Fleur Pellerin.

After graduation, Belin pursued further studies in management and psychology at the University of Mannheim. In 1999, he joined McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s top management consulting firms. This marks the start of his career that revolves around two keywords: “luxury brands” and “Asia”.

Between 2004 and 2016, he held leadership roles at Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre and Austrian crystal brand Swarovski, managing operations across Japan, Greater China, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

He joined Christie’s in 2016 as Global Managing Director of Asian Art. During his early tenure, he also served as an independent non-executive director at two jewelry firms: Enzo Jewelry and Ben Thanh Jewelry.

As the pandemic raged, strict travel restrictions were imposed across the globe, bringing much of the art world to a near standstill and placing immense pressure on the auction industry. Under Belin’s leadership, however, Christie’s Asia adapted swiftly with a series of digital transformations to navigate the crisis. These included launching online sales, streamlining bidding processes, enhancing the functionality of its WeChat platform, increasing the frequency of live streaming, and introducing online viewing rooms and 360-degree virtual exhibitions on its official website.

In Belin’s term of service, Christie’s Asia-Pacific business saw a steady growth. The firm expanded its Asia-wide footprint across nine representative offices, and its Shanghai saleroom drew significant participation from collectors. Record-breaking sales were frequently achieved, such as Sanyu’s “Five Nudes”, which fetched HK$303 million (US$38.6 million) and sets a new auction record for the artist; and Kim Whanki’s diptych “05-IV-71 #200 (Universe)”, which achieved HK$101 million (US$12.9 million) and becomes the most expensive Korean artwork ever sold at auction.

Perhaps one of Belin’s brightest legacies is the relocation of Christie’s Asia-Pacific headquarters to The Henderson, a new landmark in Central, Hong Kong.

In September 2024, Christie’s officially opened its new Asia-Pacific headquarters at The Henderson, spanning four floors and totaling approximately 50,000 square feet. With this expansive, brand-new space, Christie’s Hong Kong no longer depends solely on the traditional venue of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, nor is it limited to the biannual spring and autumn auction weeks. Instead, the business is now able to operate year-round.

Beyond auctions, the exhibitions and events held at the new headquarters have also received an enthusiastic response. Highlights included the Au Bak Ling Collection Special Exhibition, the MQJ Collection Special Exhibition, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Exhibition, the Dubai Watch Week signature program: Horology Forum, and Christie’s 9th Art+Tech Summit. Together, these programs attracted over 27,000 visitors.

Notably, Francis Belin’s influence at Christie’s has extended far beyond Asia. Since 2018, he has led the Asian and World Art division, and since 2022, he has overseen the Luxury division globally.

In fact, Belin has played a key behind-the-scenes role in several significant Christie’s developments in the West in recent years, such as the acquisition of classic car auctioneer Gooding & Company last year, and the resumption of wine live auctions in New York in June 2025.

Following Belin’s departure from his current role, Kevin Ching, Chairman, Asia Pacific, and Audrey Shum, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, will jointly lead Christie’s Asia-Pacific operations in the interim.

Kevin Ching is one of the most prominent executives in the Asian auction world and well-known to many readers. A qualified lawyer, he was previously a partner at Johnson Stokes & Master, one of Hong Kong’s top law firms, and later joined Dickson Concepts (International) Ltd., where he served as a board executive director upon departure.

In 2006, Ching joined Sotheby’s as CEO of Asia, where he achieved remarkable success over the years. In 2023, he moved to Christie’s as Chairman of Asia, earning the admiration and respect of collectors and colleagues alike. Ching is also passionate about Chinese art, with a particular fondness for jade, and is a member of the elite collectors’ society Min Chiu Society.

Audrey Shum likewise comes from a legal background. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Hong Kong, and a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining Christie’s in 2012, she worked at Bird & Bird, Clifford Chance, and Stephenson Harwood. She now serves as Managing Director, Asia Pacific, and General Counsel at Christie’s.