[1] Born in Bern, Switzerland on 20 May 1959, Rudolf studied law at the University of Bern, before joining SIX Financial Information, a globally active telecommunications company in Zurich, as international PR Manager in 1988.
In 1991, Rudolf was appointed Director of Art Basel, where he revolutionized the international art fairs market and initiated a global expansion of the fair, developing a waiting list of over 700 galleries by the time he left in 2000.
[2] By introducing a strict selection process for exhibitors corporate sponsorships, VIP privileges and educational fringe events,[3] Rudolf adopted bold tactics together with his commercial experience to evolve and grow the fair into the world-class cultural and social event that it is today, making it one of the first fairs with such an extensive and engaging programme.
Rudolf was also the initiator and, together with Claude Nobs of the Montreux Jazz Festival, the founder of Swiss Top Events.
In 2007, he created and launched ShContemporary in Shanghai – the first internationally competitive contemporary top art fair in Asia, which was an important bridge between the Chinese / Asian and the Western art world, bringing together (leading) artists, galleries, collectors and curators from both sides, creating the necessary juxtaposition, cross-over and exchange between the two hemispheres; the fair was a crucial catalyst and booster for the Chinese and the Asian art market.