This is the first weekly record of appointments at the hotels on Who Runs What. It covers moves confirmed between 4 and 12 November 2026. Each entry names the post, where the person comes from when the announcement says so, and the sources.
General managers
Fairmont Pacific Rim
Francis Desjardins has been named regional vice president, Pacific Northwest, and general manager of Fairmont Pacific Rim. He joins from Fairmont Taghazout Bay in Morocco, where he had been general manager since 2019. The hotel holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star rating for 2026.
Sources: Hotel-Online, 10 November 2026; Hotel News Resource, 5 November 2026
Mandarin Oriental, Canouan
Mandarin Oriental has appointed Jonathan Payne general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Canouan. He was previously resort manager at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, in Saint Lucia. The hotel holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star rating for 2026.
Sources: Hotel-Online, carrying the Mandarin Oriental release, 6 November 2026; Hotel News Resource, 2 November 2026
Savoy Palace
Savoy Signature has named Diego Requena Torres general manager of Savoy Palace and area director for Savoy Palace and Royal Savoy. He joins from Six Senses Rome, where he was director of operations. Savoy Palace is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
Sources: SAPO, 6 November 2026; DNOTICIAS.PT, 6 November 2026
The Ranch at Laguna Beach
RJ Bear has been promoted to general manager of The Ranch at Laguna Beach, where he was assistant general manager. He joined the resort’s opening team in 2014. The resort is No. 93 among the top 100 hotels in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2025.
Sources: Hotel-Online, 4 November 2026; The Ranch at Laguna Beach
Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa Hanoi
David Stanley De Brito becomes general manager of Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa Hanoi this month. He joins from Pullman Ninh Binh, also in Vietnam, where he was general manager. The hotel is on the Travel + Leisure It List 2026.
Sources: The Hospitality Tribune, 3 November 2026; La Tribune de l'Hôtellerie
Baros Maldives
Christian Szabo is general manager of Baros Maldives, a post he took up on 13 October. He was previously general manager of Niva Dhigali, a sister property. The appointment was announced in October and was added this week to the record of who runs the world’s best hotels. The resort is No. 2 among the top 100 hotels in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026.
Sources: Hotelier Maldives, 9 October 2026; Visit Maldives
Executive chefs
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita has named Eduardo Osuna executive chef. He first worked at the resort in 2004 as a restaurant sous chef. The resort holds two MICHELIN Keys and a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star rating for 2026, and is on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2026.
Sources: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, 10 November 2026
Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta
Soner Alpkaya is executive chef of Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta. He arrives from Singapore, where he was executive chef at a luxury resort. The hotel holds two MICHELIN Keys for 2026.
Sources: Hospitality Net; Indonesia Expat, 14 October 2026
Gut Steinbach
Sascha Förster has taken over the kitchen at Gut Steinbach, including its restaurant Heimat, with immediate effect. He spent the previous seven years as head chef at Klosterhof Alpine Hideaway & Spa in Bayerisch Gmain. The hotel holds two MICHELIN Keys for 2026.
Sources: AHGZ, 11 November 2026; Tageskarte, 11 November 2026
Severin's - The Alpine Retreat
Nikolaus Platteter becomes head chef of Severin’s - The Alpine Retreat on 4 December 2026, with responsibility for all of the hotel’s kitchens. He comes from Restaurant OPUS at Hotel Imperial in Vienna, and earlier led the kitchen of the Beef Club at Schlosshotel Fiss. The hotel holds two MICHELIN Keys for 2026 and a score of 96 on La Liste 2026.
Appointments are published weekly. Every general manager and executive chef at the world’s leading hotels is listed, with sources, in who runs the world’s best hotels. To report a move, write to press@theluxuryofattention.com.