Guillaume Cerutti Leaves All Roles Across François Pinault’s Artémis Empire
Guillaume Cerutti, a central executive figure in François Pinault’s cultural and commercial portfolio, has now exited every position he held within the billionaire’s orbit — a sweeping departure that extends beyond the Pinault Collection to include Christie’s and the French football club Stade Rennais.
Artémis, the Pinault family holding company, announced on March 27 that Cerutti will step down as chair of the board of Christie’s and will also leave the chairmanship of Stade Rennais at the end of the season in May. The news follows last week’s disclosure that Cerutti was departing as president of the Pinault Collection, a role he had held for 13 months after relocating to Paris in 2025 to focus on the collection and its museums.
No reason was provided for the separation. Sources close to the situation described the break as unexpected, even among those in the men’s immediate circles.
In its statement, Artémis said Cerutti will be replaced as chair of Christie’s board by François-Henri Pinault, François Pinault’s heir and the chief executive of Kering, the luxury group that controls brands including Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta. The company offered a brief note of thanks to Cerutti and said the decisions were taken “in agreement” between François Pinault, François-Henri Pinault, and Cerutti.
The announcement also signals a return to direct oversight by François Pinault, 89, who will resume the role of executive president of the Pinault Collection. The private collection comprises more than 10,000 works and is anchored by major museum sites in Paris and Venice. A spokesperson for the Pinault Collection said there are no plans to appoint a new president to replace Cerutti, nor to name an interim leader.
Cerutti’s exit from Stade Rennais — a club based in Brittany — is expected at the end of the current season in May. The move prompted strong local reaction and attention in French sports circles. The football news site Foot Sur 7 noted that, despite a tenure of less than six months, Cerutti played what it described as a “strategic role” in strengthening the club’s push toward European qualification and in advancing proposals aimed at reshaping the organization of French football.
Cerutti addressed the transition in a public message, writing that “the time has come for me to consider the next stage of my professional journey,” while acknowledging “a certain sense of sadness” at closing what he called “such a memorable page.”
He also framed his decade at Christie’s as a defining chapter, citing two headline-making moments: the record-breaking New York sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” in 2017 and the blockbuster Paul Allen Collection auction in 2021. Turning to the Pinault Collection, Cerutti pointed to the institutions’ recent performance, noting that the museums in Paris and Venice — “led by a team of the highest caliber,” he wrote — achieved record attendance in 2025 and again this year.
For the art market, the leadership reshuffle places François-Henri Pinault more visibly at the top of Christie’s governance, while François Pinault’s return to an executive role underscores the personal nature of the collection he has built over decades. What remains unclear is how the Pinault Collection will structure day-to-day leadership without a president — and what Cerutti’s next move will be after a rapid, comprehensive exit from one of the art world’s most influential private empires.
