Fred Le Fichoux Named Head of EMEA Hospitality at Cushman & Wakefield as Jon Hubbard Retires After 40 Years

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September 9, 2026 3:19 PM

Fred Le Fichoux has been named Head of EMEA Hospitality at Cushman & Wakefield, taking over leadership of the firm’s regional hospitality team as Jon Hubbard prepares to retire at the end of September following a 40-year career in the hospitality industry. Le Fichoux, who has served as Head of Hotel Transactions EMEA since 2024, brings more than two decades of experience with Cushman & Wakefield and an extensive track record advising hospitality owners, investors and operators across Europe. His career has covered hotel transactions, valuation, operator selection and development advisory, with assignments ranging from landmark city-centre hotels to luxury resort destinations. Notable transactions have included the Sunčani Hvar hotel portfolio in Croatia and the Augustine Hotel in Prague, which was sold to Kempinski Hotels. Hubbard has played a central role in building Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA hospitality platform since joining the firm in 2017, expanding its regional reach, strengthening global connectivity and adding senior talent across key European hospitality markets. Le Fichoux will now lead the next stage of growth, following further senior appointments including Luis Arsuaga as Head of Capital Markets Hospitality in Spain in April. The leadership transition reinforces the firm’s focus on providing specialist advice to hospitality owners, investors and operators across EMEA.

Fred Le Fichoux Takes Over EMEA Hospitality Leadership

The appointment of Fred Le Fichoux as Head of EMEA Hospitality represents a significant leadership transition within Cushman & Wakefield’s European hospitality business.

Le Fichoux will take over the leadership of the team following the planned retirement of Jon Hubbard at the end of September.

The transition comes after Hubbard’s four-decade career in hospitality and his important role in developing Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA platform.

Le Fichoux enters the position with extensive transaction and advisory experience developed over more than 20 years with the firm.

Jon Hubbard Retires After Four Decades in Hospitality

Hubbard’s departure marks the end of a long career in the hospitality sector.

He joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2017 and subsequently became an important figure in developing the firm’s EMEA hospitality operation.

During his tenure, the platform expanded its regional reach and strengthened its connectivity with Cushman & Wakefield’s global hospitality network.

The business also added talent across important European hospitality markets.

Alongside his leadership responsibilities, Hubbard maintained an active role in significant hospitality transactions.

Building a Stronger EMEA Hospitality Platform

Under Hubbard’s leadership, Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA Hospitality platform developed across a number of key European markets.

The strategy involved increasing regional coverage while maintaining connections with the firm’s international network.

This approach is particularly important within hospitality investment, where hotel owners and investors frequently require advice across multiple countries and jurisdictions.

The expansion also allowed the firm to strengthen its ability to advise clients on transactions involving different property types and investment strategies.

Le Fichoux will inherit that established platform and lead its next phase of development.

Le Fichoux Brings More Than 20 Years at Cushman & Wakefield

Le Fichoux has been with Cushman & Wakefield for more than two decades.

His career within the firm has included several senior leadership responsibilities.

Since 2024, he has led the firm’s EMEA hotel transactions business.

Before taking that position, he held leadership roles overseeing hotel transactions in Continental Europe and the hospitality practice across Central and Eastern Europe.

The progression has given him experience across multiple European markets and hospitality investment environments.

Extensive Hotel Transaction Experience

Le Fichoux’s expertise covers a broad spectrum of hospitality transactions.

His assignments have included both landmark city-centre assets and luxury resort destinations.

This range is significant because hotel investment strategies can differ substantially according to asset type, location, market maturity and buyer profile.

City-centre hotels can involve complex urban real estate considerations, while resort transactions often require analysis of destination demand, seasonality and development potential.

His experience across both categories provides a broad foundation for his new regional leadership role.

Sunčani Hvar Portfolio Highlights European Experience

Among Le Fichoux’s notable assignments was the sale of the Sunčani Hvar hotel portfolio in Croatia.

Hvar is an internationally recognised European tourism destination, making the portfolio an important example of resort-related hospitality investment.

The transaction forms part of Le Fichoux’s wider record of advising clients on significant hotel assets across Europe.

His involvement in transactions of this nature demonstrates experience working with complex hospitality portfolios rather than only individual hotel properties.

Augustine Hotel Prague Transaction Adds Luxury Expertise

Another notable assignment involved the sale of the Augustine Hotel in Prague to Kempinski Hotels.

The transaction reflects Le Fichoux’s experience within the luxury hotel segment and his involvement with internationally recognised hospitality operators.

Luxury hotel transactions can involve considerations extending beyond conventional property fundamentals.

Brand positioning, operator strategy, location, guest demand and long-term asset potential can all influence investment decisions.

Le Fichoux’s transaction history provides exposure to these different dimensions.

Expertise Extends Beyond Hotel Sales

Although hotel transactions have formed a significant part of Le Fichoux’s career, his expertise is broader.

His experience also includes hotel valuation, operator selection and development advisory services.

This wider advisory capability allows him to engage with hospitality assets at different stages of their lifecycle.

Valuation can support investment and financing decisions, while operator selection can influence a hotel’s commercial positioning and operating performance.

Development advisory, meanwhile, can help owners assess opportunities before an asset reaches the operating stage.

A New Phase for EMEA Hospitality

In his new position, Le Fichoux will lead the next phase of growth for Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA Hospitality business.

His appointment comes after a series of senior leadership changes intended to strengthen the firm’s hospitality capabilities in important markets.

The latest development follows the appointment of Luis Arsuaga as Head of Capital Markets Hospitality in Spain in April.

Such appointments demonstrate an emphasis on specialist hospitality expertise within individual European markets.

The broader strategy is designed to strengthen the firm’s ability to serve owners, investors and operators.

Specialist Advice Is Becoming Increasingly Important

The hospitality investment environment requires increasingly specialised advice.

Hotel assets are influenced by tourism demand, operating performance, financing conditions, development costs, brand strategies and changing traveller behaviour.

Investors therefore often require more than conventional commercial property advice.

Cushman & Wakefield’s hospitality platform provides services specifically focused on these requirements.

Le Fichoux’s combination of transaction, valuation and development experience aligns closely with that specialist model.

Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Scale

Cushman & Wakefield is a major global commercial real estate services firm serving property owners and occupiers.

According to the supplied company information, the business has approximately 52,000 employees across nearly 400 offices and 60 countries.

Its global network provides the infrastructure for connecting regional hospitality expertise with international investors and operators.

That connectivity is particularly valuable in hotel transactions, where capital can move across borders and major hospitality groups operate internationally.

The EMEA Market Remains a Strategic Priority

Europe, the Middle East and Africa represent a diverse hospitality investment environment.

The region includes mature hotel markets, emerging destinations, major city centres, established resort markets and developing tourism economies.

This diversity creates opportunities but also requires market-specific expertise.

Le Fichoux’s previous responsibilities across Continental Europe and Central and Eastern Europe, followed by his leadership of EMEA hotel transactions, provide relevant experience for managing that complexity.

His new role will bring those regional capabilities together at a broader strategic level.

Leadership Continuity Meets Further Growth

The transition from Hubbard to Le Fichoux combines continuity with a new phase of expansion.

Hubbard leaves after helping establish and grow the firm’s EMEA hospitality platform.

Le Fichoux assumes responsibility with an existing track record inside the organisation and extensive knowledge of its transaction business.

That combination reduces the disruption typically associated with a senior leadership change.

At the same time, his new mandate provides an opportunity to build further on the platform Hubbard developed.

What Fred Le Fichoux’s Appointment Means

The appointment of Fred Le Fichoux as Head of EMEA Hospitality places an experienced hospitality transaction specialist at the centre of Cushman & Wakefield’s regional strategy.

His more than two decades with the firm have provided exposure to hotel transactions across a wide range of European markets.

His expertise includes hotel sales, valuation, operator selection and development advisory, while his transaction record includes prominent assets such as the Sunčani Hvar portfolio in Croatia and the Augustine Hotel in Prague.

His leadership experience across Continental Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and the wider EMEA hotel transactions business further strengthens his credentials for the role.

The appointment follows the retirement of Jon Hubbard, whose 40-year hospitality career and tenure at Cushman & Wakefield helped build the firm’s EMEA platform from 2017 onwards.

Hubbard’s contribution included expanding the regional network, strengthening global connectivity and attracting talent across Europe’s key hospitality markets.

Le Fichoux will now inherit that platform and lead its next stage of growth.

With further senior appointments such as Luis Arsuaga in Spain, Cushman & Wakefield is continuing to reinforce its hospitality leadership structure across Europe.

For hotel owners, investors and operators, the strategy points towards an increasingly specialised advisory platform designed to support transactions, investment decisions, development and long-term asset performance across the EMEA hospitality market.