Francesco Cefalú
Chief Development Officer
Bio:
Francesco Cefalú is the Chief Development Officer responsible for Mandarin Oriental’s global development strategy of luxury hotels and residential projects, supporting the company’s growth objectives and ensuring the brand is well-represented in the world’s most desirable destinations.
He joined Mandarin Oriental in 2016 as the Regional Development Director for EMEA, and has since led the Group’s development strategy in the region, resulting in projects including Lake Como, Riyadh, Mallorca, Zurich, and Tel Aviv.
Francesco has extensive experience in hospitality real estate, including hotel management contracts, company investments, and residential agreements. In his previous roles, he worked for brands such as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Worldwide, with management positions in Brazil, Italy, and the UK. Francesco is an Italian national and
graduated from Bocconi University in Milan with a degree in Economics. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston. Francesco remains based at the Group’s London corporate office.