HONG KONG.- Christie's, the world's leading art business will expand its Asia team with three key appointments, as part of its continued commitment in the region.

o Angela Cheng, Vice President, Head of Marketing and Events, Asia
o Simon Tam, Head of Wine, China
o Ferida Yang, Shanghai Representative

“As the Asian market grows faster than in any other region in the world, Christie's continues to adapt its’ structure and activities to suit this rapidly changing environment. A number of senior appointments are being made in three key areas of our development. First in Wine, which is expanding to offer more auctions beyond the traditional bi-annual gatherings at the Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Centre. Secondly, in Shanghai, one of the two key posts with Beijing, of our presence in China. Finally, in marketing, so that our promotional tools and programme of events can be further adapted to the needs of our many new Chinese buyers and sellers. These appointments are part of a larger set of initiatives planned for 2011 which demonstrate, once again, our great commitment to Asia and our desire to offer the best service possible to collectors throughout the region,” said François Curiel, President of Asia.

Angela Cheng, Head of Marketing & Events, Asia
Based in Hong Kong, Angela Cheng will be responsible for Christie’s presence and brand awareness across the region, providing marketing support to the Asian art specialists globally, and making it easier for buyers and sellers to transact with Christie’s. Angela will work closely with Christie’s 36 specialists in Asia and the heads of Asian art departments worldwide. Angela Cheng will be an integral member of the global marketing team and work with the broader international community at Christie’s to develop an Asian marketing strategy in line with the global direction of the firm.

With nearly twenty years of professional experience in marketing, Angela was previously at Hilton Hotels where based in Shanghai, she was Regional Director of Marketing, Greater China and Mongolia. In this role, she led the launch of Hilton’s Chinese website and of a VIP loyalty program. Angela graduated from California State University in 1987 with a Bachelor in Business Administration (Marketing). She subsequently gained both Bachelor and Master of Business Administration (Marketing) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong as well as a Post-Graduate diploma in Corporate Communications.

Simon Tam, Head of Wine, China
Based in Hong Kong, Simon Tam will be responsible for developing Christie's wine sales in Asia, with particular focus on client relationships in Greater China. Reporting to Charles Curtis MW, Head of Wine for Asia, Simon will work closely with the company's established wine teams in Amsterdam, Geneva, London, Paris and New York.

In 1999, Christie's was the first international auction house to organise a wine auction in Hong Kong and today has the largest and most experienced team in the world. Christie's also holds the world record price for the most expensive Impériale (6 litres) bottle of wine ever sold at auction: US$305,000 for a unique Impériale of Château Cheval Blanc 1947.

A pioneer educator, communicator and wine consultant in Greater China, Simon has over 20 years of experience developing and nurturing the Chinese Wine Market. A highly specialised award-winning consultant to the wine industry, Simon was voted “The Best Wine Consultant” by UK’s Wine Business International magazine. He is the founder of the Independent Wine Centre in Hong Kong and Shanghai (www.iwinecentre.com), Founding Chairman of the Greater China Wine Critics Association and co-founding director of Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition. In addition, Simon serves on several Hong Kong SAR government advisory committees related to the wine industry and is a member of numerous professional groups including the Chaine des Rotisseurs, Chevalier de Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. As an active columnist and speaker, he regularly writes for international media and has spoken at major wine conferences worldwide such as VINEXPO and the London International Wine Fair. He also created an iPhone/iPad app “Flavour Colours” - the world's first Chinese food and wine pairing app. Simon graduated from Regency and Roseworthy Colleges in Australia in Hospitality Management and Wine Marketing. He is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Ferida Yang, Representative, Shanghai
Based in Shanghai, Ferida Yang will be responsible for client services and business development with the aim of helping to bring more of Christie’s global offering to Chinese collectors in the Shanghai region. Ferida joins Christie’s with a wealth of client service background in her previous position as Personal Shopper at Neiman Marcus retail group in Las Vegas, where she had a proven track record in sales from a high net-worth client base from Asia. She also had experience in banking and finance when she was Senior Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific in Hong Kong. Ferida is fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Shanghainese.