Suzanne Gyorgy

Spear’s Review

An art advisory unit operating as a fiduciary within a bank, Citi’s was the first of its kind when it started organising art loans in 1979.

‘It’s a well-oiled machine,’ says Suzanne Gyorgy, the bank’s global head of art advisory and finance, who has been with Citi for over 20 years. The rise in value in art collections has made art finance a fast growing business: average loans are now £35 million to £40 million, compared with £20 million only a few years ago.

Clients tend to be entrepreneurs and are invariably ‘well educated and intellectually curious’, says Gyorgy, who holds a fine arts degree from the Pratt Institute and previously served as director of exhibitions for the Morris Museum. 

What’s her advice? ‘The best way to approach collecting art is the way you think about buying your primary residence. You really love it but you do all the due diligence to make sure you’re paying the right price.’