Marketing Director APAC

About the Bonhams Network
Founded in 1793, Bonhams is one of the world's leading auction houses — defined by connection, and home to the curious.
With over 230 years of expertise, Bonhams operates a global network of trusted specialists across 24 countries, including flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong. Across more than 60 specialist categories, Bonhams serves collectors of every kind — from emerging to established — with the objects, stories and expertise that define their collecting journey.
Beyond auctions, Bonhams is both a destination for discovery and for industry-leading services and support. Its rotating programme of exhibitions and public programming is free and open to all, reflecting a longstanding commitment to curiosity, cultural conversation and the enduring power of objects.
For forthcoming auctions and details of specialist departments, visit Bonhams.com.
Bonhams: A house built on knowledge. Defined by connection. Home to the curious.
About the Role
We are seeking a strategic and commercially minded marketing leader to shape and deliver Bonhams’ marketing strategy across Asia Pacific. You will identify where and how marketing can drive profitable growth, strengthen our position in priority markets and translate business objectives into focused, measurable plans.
The role centres on strategic leadership, commercial judgement, digital marketing expertise and senior stakeholder management. You will align regional leadership, specialists and global marketing around clear growth priorities, securing support for investment choices and managing competing demands. Campaign execution will sit primarily with the regional team, global specialists and agency partners, with limited direct delivery by this role.
Key Tasks & Responsibilities
Stakeholder management and regional leadership
• Act as the senior marketing partner to the APAC Managing Director and category leaders, translating commercial ambitions into agreed marketing priorities.
• Build trusted relationships with specialists and global functions; establish clear briefs, responsibilities, decision processes and realistic expectations.
• Influence and challenge senior stakeholders using client insight, performance evidence and commercial judgement; resolve competing requests and secure alignment on trade-offs.
• Represent APAC needs within global marketing planning and ensure regional decisions support the wider Bonhams strategy.
Regional strategy and commercial growth
• Develop and own the APAC marketing strategy and annual plan, aligned with Bonhams’ global direction, regional business priorities and financial objectives.
• Prioritise markets, collecting categories and client segments using commercial potential, client insight and performance data; make clear recommendations on where to invest and what to stop.
• Partner with regional leadership and specialists to build plans for buyer acquisition, client retention, cross-category engagement and consignment lead generation.
• Develop investment proposals with clear objectives, expected returns and measures of success, balancing brand building with immediate commercial demand.
Digital marketing and client development
• Lead the regional digital marketing approach across paid search, paid social, organic social, search engine optimisation, content and CRM, working with global channel owners and specialist agencies.
• Set the strategy for relevant regional platforms, including WeChat and Xiaohongshu, and the role of Instagram within the wider APAC channel plan. Tailor activity to local audience behaviour and market requirements.
• Improve the journey from discovery to enquiry, registration, bidding and purchase, partnering with Product, Technology and Data teams to identify and address conversion barriers.
• Use segmentation, lifecycle communications and personalisation to activate new clients, encourage repeat participation and re-engage lapsed clients.
• Establish a structured testing approach across audiences, creative, channels and landing pages; use findings to improve effectiveness and investment decisions.
• Ensure campaigns have appropriate tracking and reporting, with responsible use of client data in partnership with the relevant privacy and legal teams.
Brand and integrated campaigns
• Translate Bonhams’ global positioning and brand platform into locally relevant campaigns, maintaining a consistent identity and tone of voice across APAC.
• Set objectives and strategic direction for integrated auction, category and brand activity; empower teams and agencies to plan and deliver against agreed briefs.
• Provide strategic guidance on audience priorities and messaging, with content development and production led by the relevant teams and partners.
• Assess partnerships, sponsorships and events against audience quality, client development potential and measurable value; establish clear follow-up with commercial teams.
Investment and performance
• Agree commercial KPIs with Finance, Data and regional leadership. Report on acquisition quality, active bidders, buyers, retention, qualified leads and marketing efficiency.
• Connect marketing activity to commercial outcomes where data allows, distinguish attribution from incremental impact, and communicate measurement limitations clearly.
• Provide regular performance reviews with actionable recommendations and hold agencies accountable for delivery, results and continuous improvement.
Leadership and collaboration
• Lead, coach and develop the regional marketing team, setting clear priorities, responsibilities and standards of delivery.
• Establish an effective operating model with global marketing and agencies, with clear ownership, escalation routes and accountability for execution.
Experience & Capabilities
Essential
• Senior marketing leadership experience across multiple APAC markets, with a strong understanding of differences in client behaviour, culture, media and digital platforms.
• Proven experience translating business strategy into prioritised marketing plans, investment decisions and measurable commercial results.
• Substantial digital marketing experience spanning acquisition, performance marketing, CRM and conversion optimisation, with the depth to challenge agencies and guide execution.
• A track record of improving the quality and efficiency of client acquisition, alongside retention, repeat purchase or customer lifetime value.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, including budget ownership, forecasting, business cases and evaluation of marketing effectiveness.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with a record of influencing senior leaders, challenging constructively and resolving competing commercial priorities in a regional or global matrix.
• Experience leading teams and agencies through clear direction, delegation and accountability, while maintaining focus on strategy and business outcomes.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex findings clearly and turn them into practical decisions.
• Fluency in English and the ability to work effectively across cultures and international teams.
Desirable
• Experience in auctions, art, luxury, premium retail, hospitality, financial services or another business serving affluent and high-net-worth clients.
• Understanding of both relationship-led client development and scalable digital customer acquisition.
• Experience with Chinese digital ecosystems, including WeChat and Xiaohongshu, and collaboration with local platform specialists.
• Mandarin, Cantonese or another relevant APAC language.
What Success Looks Like
Objectives and targets will be agreed with the CMO and APAC leadership, supported by an established baseline and shared ownership with commercial teams. Success will include:
A clear regional growth plan with agreed market and category priorities, investment choices and accountable delivery.
Measurable growth in qualified new clients and their progression into active bidders and buyers, with improved acquisition efficiency.
Stronger retention, repeat participation and cross-category engagement, alongside qualified consignment opportunities supported by marketing.
A more effective regional digital with better conversion, reliable reporting and evidence of learning from tests.
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Employment type
Full-Time

Work arrangement
No