Frieze Taps Art Basel Veteran Frank Lasry as Chief Operating Officer

Frieze today announced the appointment of Frank Lasry as its new chief operating officer, starting in June. Lasry will report directly to Frieze CEO Simon Fox.

Lasry, who brings more than two decades of experience managing blue-chip art world companies, will bring combined auction house, art fair and gallery experience to Frieze. He most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Perrotin, where he managed logistics and operations for the gallery’s nine locations around the world. Before joining Perrotin, he worked at Art Basel from 2018 to 2023, where he was promoted to managing director. During his tenure, he helped found Art Basel Paris, hosting its first edition in 2022.

Lasry rose to prominence in the auction industry, holding senior positions in various Christie’s offices before becoming COO of Christie’s London. He then went on to hold the same role at rival Phillips, where he was responsible for its European and Asian operations.

“Frieze is a unique brand whose mission is to expand the reach and understanding of contemporary art, and I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with it,” Lasry said in a statement.

“I am delighted to welcome Frank to the Frieze team,” Frieze CEO Fox said in a statement. “His extensive operational experience in the art world will be invaluable to us as we continue to expand globally and strengthen our offerings to galleries, collectors and partners.”

Lasry’s hiring is one of the first major appointments since Frieze’s ownership changed from private equity firm Silver Lake Management to the newly formed Mari company founded by entertainment mogul Ari Emanuel. The deal officially closed last fall.

Following the completion of the transaction, Frieze announced that it would take over the Abu Dhabi Art Fair and rename it Frieze Abu Dhabi. The company’s expansion into the Gulf follows Art Basel, which hosted the Qatar fair in early February.

On the eve of the opening of Art Basel in Qatar, the United States and Israel began launching air strikes against Iran, which affected the entire region, including postponing Art Dubai from April to May in an “adjusted format.”

With the planned inaugural edition of the fair not until November, Frieze has yet to make any statement on how the ongoing war might affect Frieze Abu Dhabi, especially given that the time frame of the conflict seems to be changing daily.