Francisco Pinero – Chief Executive Officer, IAA Europe S.L.

Email – francisco@autographauctions.eu

Francisco, a Post-Graduate Master in Business & Economy, was instrumental in founding International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L. in 2011 and has been at the helm of the company ever since, overseeing its continual growth.

Francisco is multilingual, speaking Spanish and French, as well as being fluent in English, and has built up many excellent working relationships with clients, enjoying helping them build their collections and offering advice on sales too.

With a particular passion for classical music and opera, Francisco takes responsibility for the research and cataloguing of autograph letters and musical manuscripts of composers, conductors, instrumentalists, and opera singers. He also prepares the catalogue descriptions for autographs associated with French history and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.

The most exciting autograph Francisco has had the privilege to sell at IAA Europe?

‘For me personally, it had to be an exceptionally rare autograph letter signed by the Russian violinist and composer Iosif Kotek (1855-1885). As a dedicated admirer of Tchaikovsky’s compositions, this letter was of great interest to me as Kotek assisted the composer in completing the solo part of his Violin Concerto in D, a particular favourite of mine and one of the best-known violin concertos. In the letter Kotek referred to Tchaikovsky (the two may have been lovers at some stage) as well as the musical arrangements for a serenade. This is the only letter of Kotek, who died at the young age of 29, that I have been fortunate enough to handle. With a pre-sale estimate of 800-1200€, the letter attracted some very competitive bidding and was eventually sold to a collector for a hammer price of 4,600€.’

Guillermo Piñero – Director, IAA Europe S.L.

Email – guillermo@autographauctions.eu

Guillermo joined his father’s business in 2016 after having graduated in Business and Management and today serves as the director of IAA Europe, with a particular duty for vendor accounting.

Guillermo is a movie enthusiast with a keen passion for crime drama films and especially admires the work of directors Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Given his interest in contemporary films and pop culture, Guillermo is responsible for the cataloguing of the entertainment, popular music and sports autographs included in each of the auctions.

The movie star Guillermo would most like to meet and ask for their signature?

‘Without a doubt, my answer would have to be Al Pacino! I’d love to be able to talk through his performances in some of my favourite films such as Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, as well as Heat. His compelling performance in the latter as Vincent Hanna, opposite Robert De Niro, really stands out for me and I never tire of watching Michael Mann’s gripping film. As to asking Pacino for his autograph, I think that I would have to try and insist on a more complete signature than the ones I see today!’

Elias Morillas – IAA Europe office manager

Email – elias@autographauctions.eu

Elias also has a background in economy and has been steadfastly at Francisco’s side for twenty-five years, having worked closely with him in other businesses previously.

As well as being personal assistant to Francisco, Elias oversees and supervises many other activities as IAA Europe’s office manager. Not least of his roles is coordinating the smooth running of the auction on sale days, as well as handling all the invoicing and accounting following an auction.

Elias has been a keen concertgoer since his teenage years and enjoys a wide variety of music including blues, rock ‘n’ roll, classic 1980s tracks and more. He also has an appreciation of Spanish music and has an uncanny knack for discovering modern bands who provide a welcome twist to the art form.

The autograph Elias would most like to see included at an IAA Europe auction?

‘I have always been hoping to see a classic 8 x 10 photograph signed by the Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher, preferably depicting him in a concert pose from the height of his career. Gallagher, sometimes referred to as ‘the greatest guitarist you’ve never heard of’, was due to appear at a concert in Antequera, close to my hometown of Malaga, in 1995, although tragically passed away just months before the event. Sadly, the opportunity to see my hero perform was not to be, although I still have a strong desire to obtain a signed photograph one day.’

German Valdivia – Head of IT and Client bidding services

Email - info@autographauctions.eu

German has a background in civil engineering which he has carried forward to specialise in information technology, providing valuable assistance to the smooth running of the broadband and computerised side to the IAA Europe office. This is an essential component on sale-days in order to ensure that all of the internet bidding platforms are functioning correctly and that global online bidders can participate in the auction with ease.

German is a keen chess player, adjudicating at many tournaments across Spain. Indeed, his son is a former under-12 Spanish national chess champion and, like his father, continues to excel at the board game.

Given German’s background in engineering, planning and design, is there one architect he admires above others?

‘Of course, there’s only one name that immediately comes to mind. The Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi’s art nouveau and modernist creations are something that I have always appreciated. The church of the Sagrada Familia is, of course, magnificent and has deservedly become the most-visited monument in Spain. However, my personal favourite piece of Gaudi architecture is the Casa dels ossos, or ‘House of Bones’, and I never fail to admire the distinctive exterior façade whenever I happen to be in Barcelona. It has always struck be as remarkable that Gaudi’s autograph is so very rare, particularly as he only died in 1926, in his early seventies, and must surely have engaged in business correspondence.’

Roni Acosta – Chief Administration officer

Email - info@autographauctions.eu

Roni has also been a member of the IAA Europe team since 2016 and has established himself as the chief auction administrator, working with our bespoke software from the very beginning of an auction until the gavel has fallen on the final lot.

Roni also takes responsibility for the secure shipping of client’s packages, ensuring that bidders from around the world receive their lots swiftly and safely. He is also generally the first point of contact for clients and is always happy to assist with any enquiries that arise.

A fervent sports fan, Roni has been a lifelong supporter of Real Madrid

The sports legend whose autograph Roni would most like to own?

‘That’s a tough question! Aside from some of the great, legendary players who have taken to the pitch for Los Blancos, I think that I would most like to have an autograph of Michael Jordan. There’s no question in my mind that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time, and I’ll always remember being in awe watching him play for the Chicago Bulls and leading them to six championships during the 1990s. To have a signed #23 shirt from the period would be amazing, but I also know there would be a huge amount of competition for it at auction!’

Renato Saggiori

Renato Saggiori began buying and selling autographs over five decades ago and the extensive knowledge he has built up over this period firmly places him as one of the world’s foremost authorities in the field of autographs and manuscripts.

Along with his wife Rosine, Renato has authored several books including Sade sconosciuto – Dalla passione alla prigione (2019), following their remarkable discovery of over 120 previously unknown letters by the Marquis de Sade. Prior to this, in 2006, they published Les Papes – Cinq Siècles de Signatures, regarded as the premier reference work on Papal autographs, and a further book dedicated to the autographs of Saints is currently being planned.