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Frieze has announced the appointment of Frank Lasry as its new Chief Operating Officer, a senior hire that places one of the art world’s most seasoned operators at the centre of the company’s next phase. He will join in June 2026 and, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Simon Fox, will lead operations across Frieze’s international fairs and wider initiatives.
Lasry arrives with more than 20 years of experience across auction houses, art fairs and galleries, bringing a distinctly international record to the role. Born in France, he began his career in the sector at Christie’s, where he held senior managerial posts in Paris, London, Dubai and Hong Kong before becoming Chief Operating Officer in London.
He later moved to Phillips as Chief Operating Officer for Europe and Asia, overseeing teams in London, Paris, Geneva and Hong Kong while helping drive the company’s expansion into new markets. The trajectory continued at Art Basel, where from 2018 to 2023 he held senior positions including Managing Director, working across Basel, Hong Kong, Paris and Miami and playing an important part in the launch of Art Basel Paris.
Most recently, Lasry served as Chief Operating Officer at Perrotin, where he managed logistics, operations and selected strategic initiatives across the gallery’s nine international locations. Taken together, those roles mark him out as a figure with deep knowledge of how the global art market functions behind the scenes, from commercial infrastructure to international growth.
Simon Fox, CEO of Frieze, said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Frank to the Frieze team. His extensive operational experience in the art world will be invaluable to us as we continue to expand globally and strengthen our offering for galleries, collectors and partners.’
Frieze London 2025. Photo by Linda Nylind. ‘I am absolutely delighted to join the Frieze team and look forward to starting this new journey with the team and the wider Frieze community’ says Frank Lasry, Chief Operating Officer, Frieze. ‘Frieze is a unique brand with a mission to expand the reach and understanding of contemporary art, and I could not be prouder to be associated with it.’
The appointment comes at a moment when the scale and complexity of global contemporary art fairs continue to grow, making operational leadership as important as curatorial identity. In bringing in Lasry, Frieze signals its intention to strengthen the structure behind its fairs, partnerships and year-round programmes as it continues to develop its international presence.
Frieze is part of MARI, the global live events and experiences company whose portfolio spans culture and sport.
Founded in 1991 with the launch of frieze magazine, Frieze has grown into one of the leading names in contemporary art, with art fairs in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Seoul and Abu Dhabi, alongside publications and digital platforms that shape critical conversation across the field. Its wider ecosystem includes year-round initiatives such as No.9 Cork Street, Frieze House Seoul and Frieze Connect, all of which extend the organisation’s role beyond the fair calendar and into the broader cultural landscape.
For Frieze, the arrival of Frank Lasry is more than an executive appointment. It is a strategic move by a global contemporary art organisation intent on refining how it operates at every level, from logistics and leadership to the experience it offers galleries, collectors and partners.
©2026 Frieze
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