Frenchman appointed to helm of Benaki Museum

France’s Olivier Descotes, artistic creation inspector at the French Ministry of Culture, has been appointed new director of the Benaki Museum, the organization’s board of trustees announced on Friday.

Descotes, formerly director of the French Institute in Athens, will replace Angelos Delivorias, who headed the museum for 41 years before stepping down in 2014.

Descotes was among 82 candidates who applied for the position through an international competition carried out pro bono by global executive search firm Egon Zehner.

The Benaki Museum was founded by Antonis Benakis in 1930 and subsequently bequeathed to the state.