Get to Know Our Members: Art Advisor and Portfolio Manager Marc Sancho

Apr 19, 2019

This month, our featured member is both an Art Advisor and Portfolio Manager from Barcelona based in London. Please meet Marc Sancho, whose life changed when a few months before enrolling in the army, a rugby injury led him to discovering Art and Philosophy. Since then, love - in all forms - has driven his career towards helping people manage their art collections. Marc expands on what he does, how he got there and what he would say to an aspiring art advisor.

What do you do in the art world?
As a Collection Manager, I basically love to help educate the tastes of collectors, manage the constant outcomes of an art collection and buy or sell on behalf of my clients to get the best deals (and returns). This work gives my clients the space to just focus on enjoying their art collections - I look after the rest. Through Art & Axia, every job I do is unique and depends on the needs of my client.

Did you receive any education, training or mentorship that has helped you excel in your career?
Indeed… I have two university degrees, several specialized courses (in arts and investments) and a Master in the Art Market up my sleeve.  But I don't think I would be where I am today, if it weren't for my mentors in the auction house that I worked at early in my career in Barcelona. My mentors taught me not just the ins-and-outs of the profession, but to read between lines.

What are the most interesting—or most challenging—aspects of your work?
I truly enjoy sharing my passion for art with my clients; most of them are as passionate as I. It is absolutely magic when (after months of scrupulous research, Excel spreadsheets full of numbers and graphics and dealing with international paperwork), we finally purchase a piece they love.

Any words of advice for emerging professionals trying to make it in the art world?
Being an independent art advisor means you are a One-Man-Band, so you have to prepare yourself in different fields. In addition to strong critical skills and sensitivity towards art, it is also necessary to have a deep knowledge of the laws, economics, languages, logistics, etc.

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To help aspiring advisors with all of this and more, 1AN offers the Art Advisory 101 Program, created to guide aspiring art advisors on how to navigate the art world, set up a successful art advisory business and follow best practice. Already a practicing advisor? Then Art Advisory 201 will benefit those of you wanting to gain a deeper, more technical understanding of what it takes to run a successful art advisory firm.