Victoria Bridgeman
CEO
London
About - Victoria Bridgeman CEO. Interview from 2012 - How did you end up working at Bridgeman? I always admired Harriet for the way she made work seem effortless and such good fun - it was one of those things that happened without me noticing it. Fortunately my background in Art History, which I was lucky enough to study at the Courtauld, was good preparation for working in the Art Library, plus my previous career in the antiques business gave me experience in dealing with clients, making swift decisions and grasping opportunities when they arise.
What makes you get out of bed each day? The hum of the buses, my husband's alarm, the dread of going for a run, pugs, children, and, of course, the prospect of all the madness of Bridgemanland that greets me the moment I walk into the office. Four words that sum up your working environment? Variety, intensity, great people and laughter
How do you balance your work and home life? I have three incredible children, a superhuman nanny without whom we would not survive, and most important of all, an amazingly tolerant husband who understands the juggling act having grown up with the business himself. A family business is a weird and wonderful thing; it is also all-encompassing, so I am eternally grateful to my wonderful assistant Anthea without whom I would be lost!
Take us through your typical working day This morning started with a meeting with one of our biggest collections, Look and Learn who we are proud to represent exclusively. Back to the office for a call with Harriet and our PR firm who are helping us manage our 40th birthday celebrations and the launch of our new app Bridgeman Art Doodle Live. Lunch was an unexpected treat with two artists we represent, then back to the office for a meeting with our IT team, who are helping us perfect our new digital asset management system which launched this month. Another meeting to discuss the promotional film we are making to showcase our latest development, Bridgeman Footage - a new service we are launching in May. Quick whizz to pick up Artemis from school, and back for my weekly catch-up with Harriet to go through all the week's developments while Artemis plays on my computer next door - all totally non-stop and great fun. You can never get bored!
How do you relax at the weekends? When not being a model mother and wife, cooking and playing with my three highly-spirited children, I am outside with horses, dog and chickens, trying to fine-tune the art of vegetable growing. When not with friends, evenings are spent almost exclusively in front of a good film.
What are your plans for the future? Art should be easy to find and easy to use and the first place you should look for it is Bridgeman. By creating new business models we should be able to reach a broader market and make money for our artists in the process. I think we have a unique opportunity to develop a host of new services for contemporary artists that will help achieve this.
Languages: English
GoSee Profile: GoSee.News/victoriabridgeman
