NEW YORK.- Christie’s International, the world’s leading art business, announced today the appointment of Su-Mei Thompson as Senior Vice President, Director of Strategic Business Development, Asia commencing in June. In this role, Ms. Thompson will have direct line responsibility for strategic planning, business development, marketing and public relations throughout Asia and will oversee Christie’s network of regional representatives in Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Ms. Thompson will serve as a member of Christie’s Asia Management Committee and as a Director of Christie’s Hong Kong Ltd where she will be a key member of the senior executive team. She will be based in Hong Kong and report to Edward Dolman, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International.

“I am delighted to welcome Su-Mei to Christie’s,” said Mr. Dolman. “As we look to build on our existing success in Asia, Su-Mei’s knowledge of the market, her proven track record in sales, strategic planning and business development with leading global organizations, her strong professional network and her familiarity with ever-evolving media and technologies will serve us well as we continue to grow our presence in this dynamic region.”

Ms. Thompson joins Christie’s from the Financial Times, where she has been Managing Director of Asia Pacific and a member of the FT’s global management board for the last four years. In this role, she oversaw the launch of the FT’s dedicated Asian edition in print and online, the FT’s Chinese language website and the FT’s conferences business in the region. She also worked successfully on advancing the FT’s strategy and relationships in India and China, and helped establish new partnerships for the newspaper with leading advertisers including several blue-chip financial institutions and luxury brands. Under her leadership, the FT has enjoyed the distinction of being the fastest-growing international business publication in the region. With responsibility for all commercial activity including advertising, circulation, operations, marketing and public relations, she managed a team of over 70 employees across eight cities in Asia.

Ms. Thompson has considerable experience of strategic planning and execution with a range of media companies, having served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Business Development for Asiacontent.com Ltd from 2000 to 2001. In this role, she helped to implement the company’s successful IPO on NASDAQ (US$70m) working with Goldman Sachs and other advisers. Previously, she was Regional Director for Legal and Business Affairs with Walt Disney Television International from 1996-2000, where she successfully executed licenses and partnerships worth several hundred million dollars with major television networks across Asia. From 1989 to 1996, Ms. Thompson worked as a solicitor in the London, Paris and Hong Kong offices of Linklaters, specializing in corporate finance and international capital markets work.

Ms. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in law from Trinity College, Cambridge University in 1987 and a first-class Masters degree in law (B.C.L.) from Christchurch, Oxford University in 1989. She also earned an M.B.A. (Dean’s list) from IMD in Lausanne in 2001.