Guillaume Cerutti (60 years old), was chosen by Emmanuel Macron to chair the Public Establishment of the Château, Museum and National Estate of Versailles. His appointment was made on Wednesday November 4 in the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Catherine Pgard. He succeeds Christophe Leribault, appointed president of the Louvre Museum on February 25, himself replacing Catherine Pgard. Since his departure, the interim has been provided by Pierre-Emmanuel Lecerf, general administrator of Versailles since June 2024.
This appointment marks the return to the public sector of a manager who spent nearly twenty years in auction houses and, more recently, in the cultural institutions of the Pinault family. A graduate of Sciences Po and ENA, Guillaume Cerutti began his career at the General Inspectorate of Finance. He became general director of the Center Pompidou in 1996, under the presidency of Jean-Jacques Aillagon, before joining the latter at the Ministry of Culture as chief of staff between 2002 and 2004. He notably participated in the development of the law of August 1, 2003 relating to patronage.
In 2007, he became president of Sotheby’s France, before being named vice-president of Sotheby’s Europe in 2011. Recruited by Christie’s in 2015, he joined the house in 2016 and became its global general manager in 2017. He held this position until January 2025, when he took over the presidency of the board of directors of Christie’s and that of the Pinault Collection, notably bringing together the Bourse de Commerce in Paris and the two Venetian museums of François Pinault.
This last experience is short-lived. In March 2026, Guillaume Cerutti leaves his position at the Pinault Collection and at Christie’s, thirteen months after his appointment. He also took over as president of Stade Rennes in October 2025, before being replaced in May 2026.
Created in 1995 in its current form, the Public Establishment of the Château, Museum and National Estate of Versailles (EPV) is a national public establishment of an administrative nature placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. It ensures the conservation, restoration and development of the castle, the national collections, the estates of Trianon, Versailles and Marly, as well as welcoming the public. Its perimeter represents some 800 hectares and 120 buildings.
The new president takes office in an establishment which recorded nearly 8.4 million visits in 2025, including 81% foreign visitors. Versailles must continue its renovation master plan, in particular security work, network modernization and climate treatment of the northern central body, concerning more than 80 rooms and apartments. The program represents an investment of around 200 million euros until 2032.
The Palace of Versailles.
