Sotheby’s has appointed Vanessa Conlin MW as its new Global Head of Wine Retail based in New York as part of the auciton house’s expansion of the global wine market and continued investment in luxury categories.
The appointment follows Sotheby’s wine’s stellar auction results in 2022. It achieved US$158 million worldwide wine auction sales last year, a 20% increase over 2021.
With her a strong combination of experience in sourcing and curating the world’s finest wines, together with the entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset that will be key to her new role, she will be tasked with expanding on the market opportunities and building out Sotheby’s strategic wine offering as well as fostering the digital content and community strategy across the global retail destinations.
Most recently, Conlin was the Chief Wine Officer at Wine Access, connecting people and places through
uncovering the world’s most inspiring wines, their stories, and provenance.
Prior to joining Wine Access, she was the Director of Sales and Hospitality at Dana Estates in Napa, California. Having worked in Napa Valley throughout her career and obtaining both her Sommelier certification and Masters of Wine, she is well placed to have strategic oversight across the different pockets of wine retail globally in New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong.
Josh Pullan, Head of Sotheby’s Global Luxury Division, commented: “I am thrilled to welcome Vanessa to
Sotheby’s. Her standing as a Master of Wine furthers Sotheby’s commitment to fostering market leading expertise and knowledge and is especially rare when coupled with her digital skills and retail know-how. She joins us during an explosive period of growth in our Luxury division, and I am excited for her to drive our retail initiatives and position in the wine business to new heights.”
