Media release – May 8, 2008
Webb’s announce the appointment of Neil Campbell to the position of Managing Director
Despite a slowing New Zealand art market, Peter Webb Galleries has enjoyed a healthy year with some record sales.
Director Peter Webb said their latest sales totalled $2.6million and expanding business has led to several private
treaty sales including two McCahons being sold offshore. However following the resignation of three senior staff over a
year ago to form a new auction company Webb’s underwent a restructure.
As part of that restructure the company has now appointed a new managing director, Neil Campbell.
Over the last 15 years Campbell (38) has a worked extensively in and alongside a range of creative sectors including
film, television, publishing and the music sector. He has previously served as the executive director of the New Zealand
Screen Director Association, was Television New Zealand’s in-house legal counsel for six years and more recently acted
as head of strategic alliances and partnerships for Telecom’s video services group.
Campbell’s personal interests are currently focused on a large international project with the World Heritage
Organisation. He was involved at the outset in this large scale international photography project which aims to document
every heritage site known. Prior to this Campbell was successful in securing New Zealand Film Commission support that
allowed one of his unpublished short stories to be produced into a film. He currently has a feature film in development.
Raised in the Far North, Campbell was educated in Auckland at Sacred Heart College and went on to obtain a Bachelor of
Law degree from the University of Auckland. He also read at the University of Queensland and holds a further degree in
Economics. He has a longstanding interest in the development of intellectual property rights in favour of the creative
sectors.
Webb said Campbell arrives at Webb’s with a familiarity of the auction business as his family has owned and operated
trading businesses and auction houses in the Far North since the 1930s.
“One of the most wonderful aspects of Webb’s is that it’s a passionate business. The team at Webb’s are there because of
their personal love of their own areas of expertise and the same can be said of Webb’s clients. Be it exquisite
jewellery, fine art, fine wine or a love of Maori artifacts. These are people with passionate interests, which is
something I have always found very appealing. I am very much looking forward to joining the team at Webb’s and bringing
my own passion to the business”.
Campbell will join Webb’s on May 19.
ENDS