City Diary: Trouble in Mayfair as 5 Hertford Street boss quits
Christian Horvath has quit as managing director of 5 Hertford Street, the Mayfair members' club backed by the billionaire Reuben brothers, after just nine months.
7:00AM BST 30 May 2014
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Is there a management rift among the Rifat Ozbek furnishings at 5 Hertford Street, the Mayfair members’ club favoured by former BP boss Lord Browne?
Diary can reveal that Christian Horvath, the managing director of the £1,500 per annum establishment, has quit after just nine months, sparking speculation about a clash with founding shareholder Robin Birley and fellow founding investors David and Simon Reuben, the billionaire property tycoons.
A spokesman for the club confirmed the exit of Horvath, formerly at the Royal Automobile Club and the Dorchester, but declined to elaborate on the reasons why. “We wish Christian very well for the future,” came the diplomatic response.
Still, coming hard on the heels of the club’s (since improved) one-star rating for food hygiene, it’s hardly the sort of publicity Birley and his backers need as they prepare to file first full-year accounts.
