The Executive Committee of TEFAF Maastricht, the premiere and prestigious international art fair, announced Monday that Sotheby’s veteran Patrick van Maris will succeed the honorable Paul Hustinx as chief executive officer. The changing of guards, effective May 1, will see Hustinx end a three-decade jaunt with TEFAF during which he headed the illustrious fair for almost 20 years.

In discussing his decision to step down, Hustinx comments, “I felt that after 26 years, TEFAF needed a fresh pair of eyes and insight to take it forward.”

After joining TEFAF in 1987, Paul Hustinx became managing director in 1996 and oversaw a period of tremendous growth. With Hustinx at its helm, TEFAF also inducted its chair of oncology. For these and other valuable contributions, he received a high Royal declaration in 2008.

Hustinx’s successor, Patrick Van Maris, previously held senior positions at Sotheby’s and commands over 25 years of experience in the international art market. Van Maris began at Sotheby’s in 1989 before becoming managing director of the auction house in Amsterdam in 2003, and finally managing director of Sotheby’s Europe from 2008 until 2012. Since, he has dedicated himself to global art initiatives.

Recently beginning work with TEFAF in order to inaugurate an art fair in Beijing, Van Maris’s penchant for global projects registered on TEFAF’s radar. He notes, “TEFAF’s excellent reputation and its emphasis on quality and excellence have captured me. I am delighted and grateful to have been chosen by TEFAF’s Executive Committee as the successor to Paul Hustinx and to be appointed the new CEO of this prestigious organization. I am looking forward to working with the Board and the team in Helvoirt and to maintain TEFAF’s position as the world’s leading art fair.”

Hustinx will function in an advisor capacity after his early retirement this coming September.

The international fair held in MECC Maastricht from March 13–22, 2015, is highly regarded as a staple on the annual art calendar.