( CNN ) -- Edward Dolman is Christie 's first chief executive officer to have been a specialist , who understands the pressure and the nature of valuing art . Part of his mission is attracting other highly motivated specialists into their business . A Christie 's employee stands beside a painting at Christie 's auction house in London on July 4 . Dolman was born in London in 1960 and attended Dulwich College from 1971-1978 , before studying History of Art at Southampton University . He later completed a degree at the Study Centre for Fine and Decorative Arts , which had a close relationship with the Victoria and Albert Museum . Not being of blue-blood birth , he joined Christie 's because of the link with Christie 's South Kensington , starting out as a porter in the furniture department . After a year he assumed the role of specialist in the furniture department of South Kensington , where he would see everything from European to Chinese furniture in the high-volume saleroom over the next 10 years . Meanwhile he became an auctioneer , doing a number of off-site sales at country estates and traveling to France and Belgium to generate business in the middle market of furniture . At that time he was on the Management Committee , and South Kensington began to do great sales . Finally in 1995 , he decided he wanted to become a manager and took a course at the Institute of Directors in the Mall to learn the language of business and the motivation of people . Dolman was subsequently made Managing Director of Christie 's Amsterdam , applying new techniques and marketing to enhance interest in high-quality art . Twenty months later he returned to Christie 's London on King Street as the Commercial Director to run Christie 's Europe . As he attempted to develop new categories to win business , he was made Managing Director . In 1999 Dolman moved to New York as the International Managing Director and later as Chief Executive . Together with Christie 's International Management Group , they developed an intensive five-year business plan , and Dolman took over from Christopher Davidge , as approved by Francois Pinault .
Dolman was specialist in furniture department of South Kensington for 10 years . In 1996 he was made Managing Director of Christie 's Amsterdam . Developed five-year business plan with Christie 's International Management Group .