Claude Guigon, Sun Valley Resort's assistant general manager for 15 years, has left his position and been replaced by Catering Manager Doug Horn.
Guigon, who hails from southern France, had served as the head of food service and restaurant operations for the resort since 1994 and worked in lower positions of the food department since 1982.
Sun Valley Co. spokesman Jack Sibbach said he doesn't know the specific reasons that Guigon left the position, but did say the decision was made by Sun Valley Resort General Manager Tim Silva.
"Tim felt day-to-day operations would be better in the hands of Doug Horn," Sibbach said.
Horn has been catering manager since 2007.
Sibbach said Guigon would no longer be in charge of any day-to-day operations of the resort, but has been offered a "consulting position."
When asked about the details of the consulting position, Sibbach said he didn't know any specifics. He said he assumes Guigon would be consulted on food and beverage issues, if he accepts the offer.
"Claude has a lot of valuable knowledge," Sibbach said.
The Idaho Mountain Express was unable to contact Guigon by press time Tuesday.
The move was the most recent at Sun Valley Resort in a shift toward new management. Last spring, General Manager Wally Huffman left his position of 30 years when he was promoted to director of resorts and resort development for Sun Valley Co. The company also replaced its mountain manager, Mike Federko.
Instead of promoting Guigon from assistant general manager to general manager, Sun Valley hired Silva to fill the vacant position. At the time, Silva was general manager of Northstar at Tahoe Resort in California, where he had worked for 17 years.
Horn, Guigon's replacement, is also relatively new to the company's team, having started in 2000 as banquet manager. Sibbach said Horn left Sun Valley Co. in 2003 and moved to California to work for Homewood Mountain Ski Resort but returned four years later to be catering manager.
Like Huffman, who started working for Sun Valley in a restaurant in 1969, Guigon also began his career with Sun Valley Co. decades ago and near the bottom. Guigon first worked for Sun Valley Co. owner Earl Holding as a busboy in Holding's Little America hotels in Salt Lake City in 1976. Guigon and his wife moved to Sun Valley six years later to work at the resort.
Sibbach emphasized that Guigon's replacement is a "just a business decision" and isn't based on problems with his performance.
"No matter what happens, best wishes to Claude," Sibbach said.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Claude Guigon
