Sotheby’s 2022 – 2025 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan

• We believe art is for everyone
• We believe in our shared responsibility
• We believe in the transformative power of art and culture

At Sotheby's, we are driven by our mission to promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects by being the leading and trusted global marketplace for art, luxury and lifestyle. Central to achieving this is our unwavering commitment to cultivating a more inclusive community of collectors, artists, and arts professionals. As leaders and key influencers in the global art market, we recognize the imperative to strengthen our ties with historically excluded communities, while simultaneously fostering diversity within Sotheby's and the wider art industry.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to who we are and how we operate as an organization. Success depends on how we integrate diverse perspectives, promote belonging, and reimagine structures while investing in our team and the arts community. This Action Plan outlines our roadmap for achieving these goals. It guides our work in broadening the definition of an auction house to include an intentional commitment to positive social impact and collectively building a more equitable future.

We are committed to diversifying our team by increasing hiring from communities historically excluded at Sotheby’s while sustaining a skilled, highly engaged, and diverse workforce at all levels. This includes but is not limited to race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, education, age, socioeconomic status, ability, religious or values system, and national origin.

• Recruitment: Conduct a recruitment process that actively seeks and prioritizes diverse candidates from underrepresented communities at all levels of the business.
• Career Growth: Develop and increase the promotion of diverse talent at all levels across the business. Establish a clear career advancement tract with transparent pay and promotion practices.
• Retention: Identify and address barriers that lead to lower retention of employees from underrepresented communities.

We are committed to cultivating a supportive and inclusive work culture that celebrates and values diversity, unique talents, skills, and perspectives by providing ongoing educational opportunities on cultural competency and inclusive leadership.

• Continuing Education: Provide regular training utilizing internal and external resources, including events hosted by our Employee Resource Groups that advance cultural competency and inclusive leadership among our global teams.
• Mentorship: Provide programs and opportunities that foster mentorship, strengthen ties among our employees, and invest in the development of our talent.
• Collaboration: Increase understanding and partnership between our teams, creating a culture of mutual support, understanding, and respect.

We are committed to establishing and sustaining trust with historically excluded communities that expand our demographic reach and integrate DEI into our business, client, and branding strategies to become a social equity leader within and outside of our industry.

• Business Strategies: Intentionally integrate DEI initiatives into our long-term business strategies to broaden the categories of art and objects we source and sell, and increase our focus on supporting and highlighting creators from historically excluded communities in the market.
• Client Strategies: Increase understanding and partnership between our teams, creating a culture of mutual support, understanding, and respect.
• Community Impact: Establish and sustain ongoing relationships with local community partners to ensure that our global philanthropic efforts uplift the communities in which we do business.
• Brand and Reputation: Establish and sustain ongoing relationships with local community partners to ensure that our global philanthropic efforts uplift the communities in which we do business.

We are committed to reviewing and continuously updating organizational structures, practices, policies, and business plans to ensure they are equitable and inclusive.

• Internal Policy Reviews: Review and amend organizational structures, policies, and business plans to be equitable and inclusive.
• Business Policy Review: Review and amend the policies and procedures around the business getting, selling and presentation of objects from a DEI lens.
• Accessibility: Curate a representative environment that ensures all digital and physical spaces feel welcoming and approachable to individuals and communities historically absent from Sotheby’s.

Sotheby's Impact