I spent 6 months of diligence looking at three enticing companies and a lot of money, only to get outbid each time by a private equity firm. I had spent about three years looking for companies to buy and help grow. A unique opportunity presented itself to me and I joined Acker Merrall & Condit, the world’s largest fine and rare auction house, as CEO/and minority owner in 2017.Ĭan you share with our readers the most interesting or amusing story that occurred to you in your career so far? Can you share the lesson or take away you took out of that story? I left finance in 2012 and was a partner in a tech venture capital firm for four years and managed my personal investments. After helping rebuild the broker dealer, I joined JP Morgan Chase Chief Investment Office as Head of Strategy for the banks’ 350 Billion portfolio. I left in 2001 and then spent a few years in a family office before becoming President & CEO of a premierīroker dealer. During those years, First Boston went public as Credit Suisse acquired it and the company was named Credit Suisse First Boston. Salomon and then went to First Boston where I spent 13 years where I was Managing Director, Head of Interest Rate & Derivative Trading as well as Head of US Proprietary Trading. I started my career going through Salomon Brothers sales and trading program. When I went to graduate school, finance and Wall Street was going through a tremendous growth phase. Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the finance industry? Neither provenance nor care gets any better.Thank you for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to learn a bit more about you.
“As Martine’s aid, there will be no more after we finish auctioning her personal collection. “Honoured and proud are not strong enough words to say how I feel personally that Martine, with her rigor in every element of how her wine is selected, cared for and handled, has chosen Acker Merrall as the firm to auction what will be remembered by generations of collectors as one of the most remarkable and legendary cellars ever to be offered,” said Acker Merrall & Condit’s CEO, John Kapon. Saunier began importing Jayer in 1974 – starting with the 1972 vintage – and has been dealing with Lalou Bize-Leroy since 1986. I have a few nice bottles left for my own drinking, but this is really most of my Jayer holdings you have gotten here, so take good care of it and enjoy it while you can.”Īll of the wines from her cellar were purchased directly from the cellars of the estates and have been stored in optimal conditions ever since. I will never again be able to select such a fantastic range of Henri Jayer wines, and I literally cleaned out most of my private cellar….
“This consignment is going to be the last of its kind. Saunier made it clear that this would be the fist and last time she would open up her cellar for auction. Saunier is renowned for helping introduce the US to estates such as Henri Jayer, his nephew Emmanuel Rouget, Domaine Leroy, Meo-Camuzet, Domaine du Pegau and Château Rayas and these wines are the cornerstones of her personal collection that will be going under the hammer on 31 January. Acker Merrall & Condit is to auction the personal collection of American importer Martine Saunier in Hong Kong this month.