Christie's has given Andrew Fletcher, who was poached from the main competition, worldwide responsibility for the Old Masters based in London.
Fletcher, who began his career at Christie's in Paris after studying art history and French, has worked at Sotheby's since 2003, most recently as head of the old masters department, Europe.
He was instrumental in opening up the Asian market and pushed ahead with the development of the online auction business, which was made more important by the pandemic.
Gina Thomas
Features correspondent based in London.
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The innovative 'From Rembrandt to Richter' auction, held in hybrid format in July 2020, achieved £150m, under his auspices.
Fletcher's resignation last spring is probably due to the fact that he saw no further opportunities for advancement at Sotheby's.
Long-established London specialists Alexander Bell and George Gordon, who, along with New York-based George Wachter, oversee the entire Old Masters department at Sotheby's, seem firmly in the saddle.
Fletcher, who joined Christie's last week after a year off, may feel challenged to challenge the competition for the position as market leader in old master auctions.