Alyssa D. Quinlan Appointed CEO of Hindman
With 25 Years of Experience in Finance and Fine Art Auctions, Quinlan is Poised to Lead Hindman’s Next Phase of Growth
Hindman Recorded Its Highest-Ever Annual Sales Total in 2022
CHICAGO – Hindman, a leading national fine art auction house with a global buyer base, has promoted Alyssa D. Quinlan to the role of Chief Executive Officer. She steps into the leadership role after three highly-successful years as Chief Business Development Officer, a period in which Hindman increased annual sales by 43%. In 2022, the company recorded its highest-ever annual sales total and expanded its presence to New York, its 16th location in the U.S.
Quinlan brings 25 years of diversified experience in private banking, wealth management, and fine art appraisals to the CEO role. Early in her career she led business development at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago, before moving on to leadership roles at J.P. Morgan Private Bank and Gurr Johns, the global art advisory and appraisal firm. She returned to the auction sector in 2019, joining a newly re-launched Hindman, created from the merger of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers and Cowan’s Auctions. She is the second woman to serve as Hindman’s CEO, following in the footsteps of her mentor Ms. Hindman, who broke barriers for women in the industry when she founded the Chicago-based auction house 40 years ago.
Jay Krehbiel, Co-Chairman and CEO of Hindman since 2018, appointed Quinlan as his successor in the CEO role. He moves into a new role as Executive Chairman, where he will continue to advise and support the company’s growth strategy, technology initiatives, and recruitment efforts in key markets.
“Alyssa has been instrumental in helping me to achieve a sustained period of strong annual sales and exceptional performance on behalf of our clients,” noted Krehbiel. “In the three years since she returned to Hindman, Alyssa’s entrepreneurial approach has helped us re-energize our business development strategy, grow our Trusts and Estates business, and re-launch our core Appraisals division – all with the goal of providing more sophisticated services to our clients. As a result, Hindman is best-placed to support estates and fiduciaries as they navigate today’s increasingly complex economic environment.”
In her new capacity, Quinlan oversees strategy and day-to-day operations for Hindman, which specializes in providing full-spectrum appraisal and auction services to private collectors, estates, and cultural institutions. Hindman conducts over 140 live and online auctions annually in all major fine art and luxury collecting categories, connecting buyers in over 70 countries worldwide with unique collecting opportunities. Sales in 2022 reached a company record high of $100 million, continuing a multi-year trend of steady organic growth.
“Early in my career, Leslie Hindman taught me the importance of a client-centric approach to business, and it has remained a cornerstone of my career over the last 25 years, whether in wealth management, appraisal services, or fine art and auctions,” said Quinlan. “I am honored to now lead Hindman into its fifth decade as a company, with an unwavering commitment to our clients, supported by a talented team of 175 professionals around the country.”
Quinlan’s appointment follows Hindman’s recent expansion into the New York region, a key growth market for important estates and private collections. The new Manhattan location will include a full-service auction room – Hindman’s fifth overall – creating another major sales hub for the company to supplement its Chicago, Palm Beach, Denver, and Cincinnati sale rooms. To see a calendar of online and live auctions for the first quarter of 2023, visit hindmanauctions.com/auctions.
About Alyssa D. Quinlan
Alyssa D. Quinlan is CEO of Hindman Auctions, overseeing strategy and day-to-day operations for Hindman, as well as the firm’s ongoing expansion in locations, services and expertise. She has 25 years of diversified business experience, with leadership experience in private banking and wealth management in addition to fine art auction and appraisal services. She led business development and Trusts & Estates at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers from 2003 to 2010, before joining J.P. Morgan to work with clients in the firm’s private banking division. In 2016, she moved to international appraisal firm Gurr Johns, where she oversaw the opening of the Chicago branch and contributed to the expansion of the company’s presence throughout the Midwest and Texas.
Since returning to Hindman in 2019 as Chief Business Development Officer, Quinlan has renewed her commitment to auctioneering —a skill she first learned from her mentor Leslie Hindman. As a sought-after charity auctioneer, she has helped to raise funds for The Salvation Army and Rush University Woman’s Board. She is an active member of Chief, the professional network for women executive leaders, and supports arts and cultural organizations in her hometown of Chicago, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Luminarts Cultural Foundation, and the Women’s Board of Ravinia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University.
Media Contacts:
Hanna Cunningham
hannacunningham@hindmanauctions.com
+1 312 447-3271
Erin McAndrew for Hindman
erin@thevervelab.com
+1 347 721 0697