Online art marketplace Artfinder appoints digital entrepreneur, Joshna Rughani, as CEO, joining the growing proportion of UK businesses with female CEOs. Outgoing CEO, Michal Szczesny, left in 2022, with interim CEO, Glen Collins, stepping in whilst a permanent appointment was made.
Joshna is an award-winning e-commerce leader, with experience delivering transformation of online channels for fast growth businesses. Joshna worked for Red Letter Days for a decade, transforming the retailer from a catalogue business to primarily online, working her way up to be their first ever Head of E-Commerce. Here, she significantly increased the company’s online presence, as well as winning several digital awards, including The Drum Search Awards Best B2C Campaign – PPC.
She has since worked as Head of Digital at VCCP Media, leading a team of 25 digital specialists across a range of disciplines, from SEO to paid social, before returning to an in-house role with Artfinder, a B Corp business with a mission to support independent artists.
Artfinder has seen 140% sales growth since pre-pandemic 2019, as the online art market booms. The global online art market almost tripled in size to $13.5bn in 2021, according to the Hiscox Online Art Trade Report. The report also states that 84% of art industry players now believe the digital shift in the art market will become permanent, up from 51% in 2020.
Joshna comments: “From the day I joined Artfinder I knew I was stepping into something special. An online marketplace that allows artists to make a living selling their art, and customers to buy something directly from those artists – it’s a great idea, an ethical and sustainable business and one that is set for future growth as the sector finally embraces online and becomes increasingly open to all.”
The largest online marketplace for art, Artfinder is a VC funded startup, backed by the investors behind Spotify and Zoopla. Investors include Wellington Partners, Oxford Capital, Cambridge Angels, plus private investors in the UK, the US and Switzerland.
