Maureen Hooft Graafland
London,United Kingdom
Summary
Accomplished professional with expertise in UHNW client strategy and relationship management, consignment and business origination, and fiduciary and estate advisory strategy. Demonstrates a proven track record in private collector and family office relationships, international business development, and strategic partnership development. Skilled in cross-border stakeholder leadership, executive and board-level engagement, art market advisory and private sales, as well as wealth advisory ecosystem development. Adept at team leadership, organisational development, philanthropic initiatives, and cultural sector leadership. Committed to driving impactful results through innovative strategies within the global wealth management and art markets.
Driven and analytical, known for problem-solving and strategic thinking. Demonstrated skills in project management and stakeholder engagement, coupled with excellent communication abilities.
Overview
42
42
years of professional experience
Work history
Consultant
The Fine Art Group
London
01.2021 - 01.2024
- Advised and introduced transactional clients for art investment, art-secured lending and art advisory services.
- Developed relationships with collectors and prospective clients seeking art investment and advisory opportunities.
Head of Fiduciary Client Group Europe
Sotheby’s
London
01.2018 - 12.2019
- Established and led Sotheby’s European Fiduciary Client Group to strengthen relationships with the advisers, fiduciaries and succession-planning intermediaries connected to the firm’s most significant collectors and estates.
- Identified and addressed a strategic gap in Sotheby’s long-term client and estate succession coverage model.
- Built and cultivated a targeted network of approximately 100 senior fiduciary intermediaries across Europe, including private banks, trustees, trust & estate lawyers, family offices, executors, tax advisers and wealth advisers.
- Developed strategic relationships designed to originate future estate consignments, collection disposition mandates, private sales opportunities and fiduciary advisory engagements.
- Generated new valuation and collection review opportunities through strengthened fiduciary and intermediary engagement.
- Positioned Sotheby’s more proactively within the European wealth-transfer and estate planning ecosystem.
Senior Director, Head of Client Strategy EMEA
Sotheby’s
London
01.2006 - 01.2018
- Created and led Sotheby’s first integrated EMEA Client Strategy division, establishing a centralised platform for strategic management of the firm’s highest-value collector relationships across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
- Built and led a 15-person Client Strategy team operating across all EMEA offices and specialist departments.
- Directed strategic coverage of approximately 3,000 predominantly UHNW private collectors with minimum collection values generally exceeding £5M.
- Influenced an estimated US$100M–US$250M annually in consignments, private sales and strategic client activity.
- Designed and implemented client intelligence, relationship-management and strategic business development frameworks across the EMEA region.
- Chaired bi-weekly European Chairman’s Group meetings with Sotheby’s six European Chairmen focused on the firm’s most important collector relationships, major consignment opportunities and long-term client strategy.
- Reported directly to Sotheby’s Global Head of Business Development in New York and served as a member of the European Executive Committee.
- Worked in close partnership with senior specialists, chairmen and international business leaders to coordinate relationship strategies for the firm’s highest-value clients.
- Strengthened collaboration across specialist departments and regional offices to support major business-winning opportunities and long-term client retention.
Client Services (Part-Time)
Sotheby’s
London
01.2000 - 01.2006
- Supported international collectors and clients participating in major auction events.
Senior Cataloguer, European Paintings
Christie’s
London
01.1994 - 01.1997
- Researched and catalogued more than 1,000 works for Christie’s 19th Century Paintings sales.
- Developed specialist expertise in European paintings and the international art market.
Vice President, Corporate Finance
JP Morgan
New York & London
01.1982 - 01.1993
- Relationship manager advising major German and Austrian financial institutions on strategic financing, capital markets and risk management matters.
- Managed senior institutional banking relationships across international markets.
- Advised clients on capital raising, financing structures and strategic banking solutions.
- Completed JP Morgan’s highly selective Management Training Programme.
Education
Non-Executive Director Diploma - Pearson SRF BTEC Level 7 Advanced Professional Diploma
Financial Times
LondonFine Art Course -
Christie’s Education
LondonBachelor of Arts - Art History & German, cum laude
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusettsundefined
Phillips Academy
Andover, MassachusettsManagement Training Programme -
JP Morgan
New YorkSkills
- UHNW Client Strategy & Relationship Management
- Consignment & Business Origination
- Fiduciary & Estate Advisory Strategy
- Private Collector & Family Office Relationships
- International Business Development
- Strategic Partnership Development
- Cross-Border Stakeholder Leadership
- Executive & Board-Level Engagement
- Art Market Advisory & Private Sales
- Wealth Advisory Ecosystem Development
- Team Leadership & Organisational Development
- Philanthropic & Cultural Sector Leadership
LANGUAGES
English (native)
French (advanced written and spoken)
German (advanced written and spoken)
BOARD & NON-EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE
- Art History Link-Up Chair of Trustees | 2025 – Present Leading the strategic development of the arts education charity. Supporting organisational growth, fundraising, donor engagement and market positioning.
- African Parks Foundation UK Board Member | 2021 – Present Produced a strategic philanthropy mapping report focused on the UK UHNW and philanthropy advisory landscape. Supporting development of donor engagement strategy and organisational visibility in the UK market. Secured multi-million dollar donor support.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Consultant
The Fine Art Group
01.2021 - 01.2024
Head of Fiduciary Client Group Europe
Sotheby’s
01.2018 - 12.2019
Senior Director, Head of Client Strategy EMEA
Sotheby’s
01.2006 - 01.2018
Client Services (Part-Time)
Sotheby’s
01.2000 - 01.2006
Senior Cataloguer, European Paintings
Christie’s
01.1994 - 01.1997
Vice President, Corporate Finance
JP Morgan
01.1982 - 01.1993
Bachelor of Arts - Art History & German, cum laude
Smith College
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Phillips Academy
Non-Executive Director Diploma - Pearson SRF BTEC Level 7 Advanced Professional Diploma
Financial Times
Fine Art Course -
Christie’s Education
Management Training Programme -
JP Morgan