Claude Guigon, Sun Valley’s assistant general manager for many years, has been removed from the day-to-day food and beverage operations and offered a consulting position with the resort.

Doug Horn has been named food and beverage director in charge of daily operations.

Neither Guigon, nor officials with the Sun Valley Company, would comment on why Guigon was replaced.

“Hopefully, Claude takes the consulting position,” said Jack Sibbach, the resort’s marketing director. “Claude has a lot of valuable information and knowledge and a lot of connections. He has a lot of knowledge about the guests, menus, food costs and buying.”

Guigon, who grew up in southern France, began working for Sun Valley Resort owners Earl and Carol Holding as a busboy in their Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City in 1976. He spoke very little English at the time.

He and his wife Ghislane moved to Sun Valley in 1982 where he started out as a maitre’d. He lived in the Holdings’ home for seven years.

He gradually worked his way up to assistant food and beverage director and then food director.

He has been a very hands-on manager, leaving many observers to wonder if he ever went home to sleep. Last year when gas prices soared, he even turned into a one-man marketing machine, advertising Sun Valley’s Sinclair gas prices — which were considerably lower than other gas stations in the area — on his car.

His one blemish came in 2003 when a former human resources director claimed she had been fired from Sun Valley, in part for complaining about Guigon’s preferential treatment of French-born employees.

“He has a personal touch with guests that’s invaluable,” said Sibbach. “He knows what a guest’s favorite wine is, what his favorite meal is. He’s an icon around Sun Valley.”

Horn worked for Sun Valley from 2000 to 2003. He left for three years and returned in 2007.

“Doug’s a great team player and organizer,” Sibbach said. “He’s been a hard worker since he came back as catering manager.”