Guy Bennett, a former auction house expert and dealer based in London has been tapped by Qatar Museums (formerly Qatar Museums Authority). According to Carol Vogel in the New York Times, Qatar Museums announced this week that Bennett will become the institution’s director of collections and acquisitions. A 13-year veteran of Christie’s auction house, specializing in 20th-century art, Bennett left the company in 2009. Later that year, he formed Pelham Holdings, an art advisory firm.

“We welcome Guy’s expertise in building our collection as the Qatar Museums prepares to transition to the next phase of development,” Sheikha al-Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, chairwoman of the Qatar Museums, told the press.

Bennett’s appointment follows the sudden death earlier this fall of Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani, whose collections constitute the bulk of Qatar Museums holdings (see World’s Biggest Art Collector Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani Dies at Age 48). Currently residing in London, Bennett is set to move to Doha in September.