Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has appointed Thomas Galbraith (pictured, right) to be its new chief executive officer, it announced in a statement.

The appointment follows a private equity investment meant to aggressively grow the Chicago-based company. The name of the private equity firm involved and the size of its investment was not disclosed.

Galbraith succeeds Leslie Hindman, who founded the firm in 1982 and sold it to Sotheby’s in 1997. Sotheby’s exited the market five years later, and Hindman reopened the company in 2003.

Prior to joining Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Galbraith cofounded the Petraeus Group, a consulting firm, in 2010. During that time, Galbraith served as managing director of Paddle8, an online auction house, and prior to that as director of global strategy for Artnet. He was most recently appointed interim CEO of Twyla, an online marketplace for art backed by Google Ventures.

Hindman will continue to serve as board chair.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has salesrooms and business offices in Chicago; Atlanta; Denver; Milwaukee; Naples, Fla.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and St. Louis. It is a founding partner of Bidsquare, a live auction platform formed by six leading auction houses, and owns the online bidding platform LH Live and the e-commerce site LH Exchange. The company conducts more than 60 auctions annually in various categories, including fine jewelry and timepieces, contemporary art, 20th-century design, rare books, furniture, and decorative arts.

“We are extremely excited to have Thomas join us as CEO. With his experience at the cross section of technology and art, and his reputation as a thought leader in the industry, we are poised for future expansion,” said Hindman in a statement.

“I am humbled and excited to join Leslie Hindman Auctioneers as CEO and lead the company into the next chapter,” said Galbraith in the same statement.

(Image courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers)

Rob Bates

JCK News Director