Cheyenne Westphal

Chairman of Auctioneers Phillips

Cheyenne Westphal joined Phillips as Global Chairwoman in March 2017. She is one of the most experienced contemporary art professionals in the market today. Cheyenne oversees all aspects of Phillips and works closely with Stephen Brooks, CEO, and Edward Dolman, Executive Chairman. In alignment with Phillips’ global leadership team and specialist departments, Cheyenne builds the company’s brand, increasing Phillips’ growth and market share in 20th century and contemporary art globally. In 2023, Cheyenne is approaching her sixth anniversary as Global Chairwoman of Phillips. Phillips had a remarkable year in 2022, which marked the most successful annual sales total in company history for the second consecutive year.

Under Cheyenne’s leadership, Phillips achieves new milestones, breaking new records at every opportunity, including those for Peter Doig (Rosedale, $28.8 million), Mark Bradford (Helter Skelter I, $11.9 million) and Robert Motherwell (At Five in the Afternoon, $12.6 million), among many others, as well as top prices for Jean-Michel Basquiat (Untitled, $85 million), Pablo Picasso (La Dormeuse, $57 million), Martin Kippenberger (Ohne Titel (aus der Serie Das Floß der Medusa), $11 million) and Gerhard Richter (Dϋsenjäger, $20 million).

Cheyenne joined Phillips from Sotheby’s, where she oversaw every major contemporary art auction at Sotheby’s in Europe, which led to auction records which still stand to this day for artists like Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Piero Manzoni, and Alberto Burri, among many others. Cheyenne was named Board Director in 2002, Chairman of the Contemporary Art Department in 2006, and appointed to her worldwide role in 2014. Cheyenne also presided over the most successful contemporary art auction in Europe in July 2015, which achieved a record-breaking $203.6 million.

In addition to her role at Phillips Cheyenne is currently on the board of The Association for Women in the Arts.