Guy Ullens

Baron Guy Ullens
Ullens at the 2014 UCCA exhibition
Born	Guy François Edouard Marie Ullens de Schooten Whettnall (1935-01-31) January 31, 1935 (age 90) San Francisco, USA
Nationality	Belgian
Occupation(s)	Businessman, art collector, philanthropist
Known for	Ullens Center for Contemporary Art Ullens School
Spouse	Micheline Franckx ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1999)​ Myriam Lechien ​ ​ (m. 1999; died 2023)​
Children	4

Baron Guy François Edouard Marie Ullens de Schooten Whettnall (born 31 January 1935) is a Belgian art collector, philanthropist, and former businessperson.

Following his business career, he has with his wife, Myriam Ullens, established the Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation, known for the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, China, and for founding the Ullens School in Lalitpur, Nepal.

Early life

Guy Ullens was born in San Francisco, California, as the third child to Baron Jean Marie Joseph Anne Mathilde Alphonse Ullens de Schooten Whettnall (1897–1950), a Belgian diplomat,[1] and a member of the noble family Ullens of the Southern Netherlands. His mother was ethnographic photographer, writer, and Royal Geographical Society fellow, Baroness Marie Thérèse Pauline Francis Ullens de Schooten Whettnall née Wittouck (1905–89), of the Belgium noble family Wittouck family, a daughter of distilling and sugar magnate Félix Wittouck [fr], who together with his brothers Franz [fr] and Paul Wittouck owned the Sugar refinery of Tienen.[2][3]

The family moved to Oslo, Norway shortly after Guy was born, where Jean Ullens took up the diplomatic position of acting Minister for Belgium.[4] Over the course of World War II, the family was confined to Berlin,[5] and later lived in India, Pakistan, and Iran.[2]

Education and career

After a degree in law from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, in 1958,[6] Ullens obtained an MBA at Stanford University in 1960.[7] He started^[citation needed] Eurocan in Mechelen, Belgium, a company that specialized in the manufacture of metal packagings for preserved foods and beverages.[8]

In 1973, he joined the management of the family company R. T. Holding, a conglomerate in food industries,[9][10] and played as CEO a central role in the company's expansion into Asia.[11] In 1989, the Raffinerie Tirlemontoise was sold to German company Südzucker in a €1 billion deal.[12][13][14]

Proceeds from the sale were reinvested in food businesses via the holding company Artal Group, which Ullens served as president and CEO for.[15][16][17][18] In 1999, following a change in strategy, Artal entered the textile industry buying French company Albert,[19] and took control of Weight Watchers International in a US$735 million 1980s-style leveraged buyout in September 1999 buying from Heinz 94% of Weight Watchers' equity.[20][21] Artal Group subsequently earned US$3.8 billion by selling stocks while retaining a 52% majority stake in Weight Watchers.[22] Guy Ullens told Forbes in 2012, that the initial US$224 million direct investment in Weight Watchers had returned US$5.2 billion to Artal Group.[23]

Philanthropic projects

In 2000, Guy Ullens retired from business to devote himself to philanthropic projects with his wife, Myriam Ullens.[24]

In 2002 they set up the Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation.[25] One of the first purposes of the Foundation was to sponsor and organize exhibitions of Chinese art, and to lend pieces to museums and cultural centres around the world.[26]

Guy and Myriam Ullens helped children in Nepal by establishing orphanages and two intensive care centres for children with malnutrition.[27] They also set up the Ullens School Kathmandu, partnering with the Bank Street College of Education to train Nepalese teachers.[28] The Ullens School Kathmandu is the only school in Nepal to be IB certified.[29]

When Myriam Ullens was diagnosed with cancer in 2003,[30] Guy Ullens took over the development of the Nepal project.[31]

Art collection

In the early 1980s,[32] Ullens initiated a collection of Chinese art that is one of the world's largest and by 2007 included nearly 1,700 pieces.[33][34][35] The Ullens Collection is managed by the Guy and Myriam Ullens Foundation.[36]

In 2007, the Foundation established the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in the Dashanzi district of Beijing.[37][38] In order to establish UCCA, Ullens sold off his collection of J. M. W. Turner watercolour paintings for £10.76 million at a Sotheby's auction in London in July 2007.[39][40] UCCA was the first not-for-profit art centre in China dedicated to contemporary art.[41][42]

In a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction in April 2011,[43] exclusively featuring 106 works from the Ullens Collection,[44] Zhang Xiaogang's 1988 triptych oil work Forever Lasting Love, of half-naked figures in an arid landscape suffused with mystical symbols, sold for HK$79 million (US$10.1 million), a record auction price for a contemporary artwork from China, in Hong Kong.[45][46][47]

In October 2013, Sotheby's Hong Kong at the Asian Contemporary 40th Anniversary Sale, Ullens put up for sale Chen Yifei's political realist work Red Flag 1 (1971), and The Last Supper (2001) by contemporary Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi.[48] The Last Supper was sold for US$23.3 million, setting a new record for contemporary Asian artwork.[49]

In 2016, Ullens, now in his 80s, announced that he was looking to hand over the UCCA and would sell his art collection at auction.[50][51][52][53][54][55]

On 11 February 2017, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art received the 2016 Global Fine Art Awards for Best Contemporary / Postwar / SoloArtist “Rauschenberg in China”.[56][57][58]

Personal life

Ullens married Micheline Franckx (1932–2015) in 1955 and divorced in 1999. They had four children, three sons Philippe, Yves, Nicolas, and a daughter Brigitte.

In 1999, Ullens married Myriam "Mimi" Lechien (1952–2023), a Belgian entrepreneur.[59] As of her shooting death in 2023, his son, Nicolas, has been under investigation for the homicide.

Ullens is a yachtsman, and owns the 170 ft (51.77 m) long flybridge aluminium sloop Red Dragon II with interior design by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte.[60][61] Build by Alloy Yachts in New Zealand in 2007 and commissioned in 2008,[62] the yacht was put up for sale for US$28 million in 2015.[63]

Ullens lives in Verbier in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais, where he has been a member of the Verbier Festival foundation,[64][65] and was, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, worth an estimated €250–330 million in 2012.[66]

Honours

Ullens was appointed Officer of the Legion of Honour on 4 June 2003,^[citation needed] Commander of the Legion of Honor on 1 February 2010,^[citation needed] and Commander of the Order of Leopold II on 5 October 2011.[67]

References

1. Western Machinery and Steel World ... Vol. 37. 1946. pp. 118–. ... Jean Ullens de Schooten. former Belgian Consul to the Port of San Francisco ...
2. "Marie-Thérèse Ullens de Schooten - Archnet". Retrieved 21 July 2016.
3. "The Marie-Thérèse, Baroness Ullens de Schooten Collections at Harvard University: original ethnographic sound recordings, radio transmissions, and film soundtracks, ca. 1951-1972". Harvard University. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
4. Weekly Commercial News. Vol. 89–-90. 1935. pp. 163–. Jean Ullens de Schooten, consul general for Belgium at San Francisco during the past three years, will leave for home next Saturday preparatory to assuming the position of acting Minister for Belgium at Oslo, Norway. He will be accompanied by Mrs. Schooten and three children, the youngest of which, a son, was born here about one month ago.
5. Marie Thérèse Ullens de Schooten (baroness) (1 April 1989). In perspective. United Writers. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-1-85200-018-9.
6. Berkenbaum, Philippe (29 October 2007). "L'acteur : Guy Ullens de Schooten". Le Soir (in French). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
7. Yatsko, Pamela (February 2008). "Stanford Smarts in China's Art Marts" (PDF). Stanford Business. Vol. 76, no. 2. Stanford University. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
8. Belgium, Economic and Commercial Information. Belgian Foreign Trade Office. 1987. pp. 28–. Eurocan specializes in the manufacture of metal packagings for preserved foods, soups, pet foods and beverages. The company, which is now 25 years old, is one of ...
9. Klaus Günter Grunert; Bruce Traill (6 December 2012). Products and Process Innovation in the Food Industry. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 176–. ISBN 978-1-4613-1133-1.
10. Milling and Baking News. 10-18. Vol. 67. Sosland Pub. May 1988. pp. 108–.
11. R. M. Whiteside; A. Wilson; S. E. Hörnig (6 December 2012). Major Companies of Europe 1990/91: Volume 1 Major Companies of the Continental Europe Economic Community. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 46–. ISBN 978-94-009-0797-3.
12. "Guy Ullens: Wij weten niet wat er gebeurt". Tijd.be (in Dutch). 29 August 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
13. "Germany's Suedzucker AG To Acquire Belgian Sugar Refinery". AP. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
14. Verduyn, Ludwig (7 July 2015). "De suikerzoete miljarden van Guy Ullens". De Rijkste Belgen (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
15. Economic Review. Vol. 28. Economic & Industrial Publications. 1997. pp. 112–. Guy Ullens, the President and Chief Executive of Artal Group, has said that the Group would invest $1 10 million in Pakistan over a period of three years, and establish 30 Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants ...
16. Pakistan & Gulf Economist. Vol. 17. S. Akhtar Ali. May 1998. Addressing the investment conference, Guy Ullens, CEO of the Artal Group worldwide described Artal's activities in Pakistan. Highlighting his experiences, he said that he was deeply committed to Pakistan and believed that the country has a ...
17. Aspden, Peter (26 May 2007). "That is the life of a collector". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
18. Thibaut, Matthias (18 February 2011). "Hongkong: Guy Ullens lässt chinesische Kunst versteigern". Handelsblatt (in German). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
19. "CHILDRENWORLDWIDE FASHION - Une logistique tirée à quatre épingles" (PDF). supplychainmagazine.fr. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-18.
20. BusinessWeek. 3760-3764. McGraw-Hill. 2001. pp. 100–. In September, 1999, Heinz sold control to a private Luxembourg firm, Artal Group, which ...
21. Business Review Weekly: BRW. 32-38. Vol. 24. Business Review Weekly. 2002. pp. 58–. ... Weight Watchers is owned by Artal Group, a private company based in Luxembourg.
22. "The Mystery Man Behind Weight Watchers And The Private Equity Deal Of The Century". Forbes. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
23. Clerix, Kristof. "Belastingen afslanken via Luxemburg". MO* (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
24. Georges Bernier; Rosamond Bernier (2008). L'Oeil. 598-601. pp. 13–. 2000 Guy se retire de la scène commerciale et se consacre avec son épouse à des activités humanitaires et ...
25. "Fondation Guy et Myriam Ullens, Orsières – trade register data and business information".
26. Art and AsiaPacific. Vol. 3. Fine Arts Press. 2008. pp. 164–.
27. "Aristocratic Style – Global Citizen". 29 March 2015.
28. "Teach the children well".
29. ""There is no reason why Nepal can't prosper"- Nepali Times". Archived from the original on 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
30. "This Heartwarming Cancer Charity Promo Won 9 Of The Ad World's Most Prestigious Awards". Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
31. Ullens School (30 November 2014). "Speech by Baron Guy Ullens" – via YouTube.
32. Lane, Mary M. (19 October 2013). "Guy Ullens de Schooten Speaks on Asian Art". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
33. Art and AsiaPacific. 53-56. Fine Arts Press. 2007. pp. 83–. The center's staff will have access to the Ullens' collection of approximately 1,700 pieces of Chinese art, including 200 ... the Ullens Center as well as other philanthropic activities, including the Happy House Foundation for children in Nepal.
34. Don Thompson (27 May 2014). The Supermodel and the Brillo Box: Back Stories and Peculiar Economics from the World of Contemporary Art. St. Martin's Press. pp. 220–. ISBN 978-1-137-46413-2. Baron Guy Ullens is the son of a Belgian diplomat; his wealth came from the food industry. In 1984 Ullens and his wife Myriam began to collect Chinese contemporary art in depth. They assembled what was probably one of the two best private ...
35. "Myriam and Guy Ullens – ARTnews". 8 June 2015.
36. Sus Van Elzen (31 May 2010). Dragon and rose garden. Modern Chinese Art Foundation. ISBN 9789081450300. However, the Center will regularly hold exhibitions that will include works from the Ullens collection. ... The Guy and Myriam Ullens Foundation, which owns the art collection and founded UCCA, will probably manage to keep this considerable ...
37. Kennedy, Randy (26 July 2007). "A Belgian Couple Will Give Beijing a New Home for Contemporary Art". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
38. Youssi, Yasmine (17 October 2009). "Passionnés d'art contemporain chinois, Guy et Myriam Ullens ..." La Tribune (in French). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
39. "Turner watercolours sold for a 'painful' £10m". Telegraph.co.uk. 5 July 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
40. Iain Alexander Robertson; Derrick Chong (2008). The Art Business. Routledge. pp. 86–. ISBN 978-0-415-39157-3. Others, like Belgium-born, Baron Guy Ullens – sponsor of China's first ever Pavilion at the 2005 Venice Biennale, auctioned fourteen Turner watercolours, at Sotheby's London in July 2007, to realize his dream of the Ullens Center for the Arts ...
41. "Our Future: The Guy and Myriam Ullens Foundation Collection – e-flux". Archived from the original on 2014-09-22. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
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43. The Ullens Collection - The Nascence of Avant Garde China: auction, Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Sunday 3 Avril 2011. Sotheby's. 2011.
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54. Boucher, Brian (30 June 2016). "Guy and Myriam Ullens Seek New Owner for UCCA". Artnet News. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
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57. "Rauschenberg in China - UCCA". 11 December 2015.
58. "2016 Award Winners ‹ Global Fine Art Awards". globalfineartawards.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
59. "Myriam Ullens, la dame de cœur". Madame Figaro (in French). 6 January 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
60. Yachting. March 2008. pp. 156–.
61. "Superyacht owner Myriam Ullens opens first London fashion store". Boat International. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
62. Yachting. June 2008. pp. 88–.
63. "New Zealand-built yachts for sale: six of the finest specimens". Boat International. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
64. Duplat, Guy (16 August 2007). "Le beau rêve chinois de Guy Ullens". La Libre (in French). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
65. "L'homme le plus riche de Suisse". 7s7. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
66. "Belgische baron op lijst van 300 rijksten in Zwitserland". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
67. "Koninklijk Besluit nationale orden leopoldsorde bij koninklijk besluit van 13 juli 2012 werden benoemd : commandeur de heer ferdinand carlos leopold de trazegnies granda, oud-minister van buitenlandse zaken van peru, bestuurder van het peruaans filiaal va ridder de heer" (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 July 2016.