Mirella Roma, a longtime staff member at Hauser & Wirth, has been appointed as the chief executive officer of the international blue-chip gallery. Roma has been with the gallery for twenty-seven years, starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s as an executive assistant to Marc Payot, one of the gallery’s three co-presidents. She advanced to the role of executive director in 2013 and became a partner in 2020.
“As Hauser & Wirth’s new dedicated CEO, Roma brings an invaluable depth of knowledge both of our history and our current business combined with an exceptional understanding of our artists, our team, and the wider landscape of the art world,” said gallery co-president Iwan Wirth in a statement. “Mirella’s leadership skills will be invaluable as we continue to evolve and create new avenues for our vision of what a gallery can do and be in the future.”
Roma takes over from Ewan Venters, the former chief executive of the luxury department store Fortnum & Mason, who became Hauser & Wirth’s first global CEO in 2021. Venters will remain as CEO of the independent hospitality group Artfarm, founded by gallery cofounders Iwan and Manuela Wirth in 2014, until January 2025 or until a successor is named.
“I’m deeply honored to begin this new chapter in what has already been such a wonderful journey with my colleagues at Hauser & Wirth,” said Roma in a statement. “I’m excited to collaborate even more closely with our international team, whom I hold in the highest regard, as we continue to shape and define what a gallery can do and be in the months and years ahead. Together, we’ll create new opportunities to inspire, connect, and spark important conversations through art.”
Sayart / Sharon Jung guhuijeong784@gmail.com
