MICHAEL PAGNACCO
Executive Chef

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Chef Pagnacco was lured into the kitchen at an early age. His fascination with cooking and travel continued to blossom, and he knew a career in the culinary field was his calling.

Chef Pagnacco's first introduction to the culinary world was in the kitchens of private restaurants, before deciding to hone his skills in culinary management at Algonquin College in Ottawa, where he graduated with honours. He joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in 1999 and began an extensive journey starting in the kitchens of Fairmont Chateau Laurier, followed by Fairmont Chateau Whistler, before gaining international exposure in 2008 at Fairmont's UAE hotel Fairmont Dubai. In 2010, he took on the role of Restaurant Chef at the internationally award-winning CuiScene Restaurant at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi.

In 2012, Chef Pagnacco returned to Canada joining the Fairmont Empress, located on Vancouver Island, where he oversaw the redevelopment and concepting of the Food and Beverage outlets during the historic hotel's major renovation project. In 2017, Pagnacco added cowboy boots to his chef ensemble undertaking the role of Executive Sous Chef for the opening of Fairmont Austin, a 1,048 guest room hotel with five food and beverage outlets and 140K sq. ft. of function space. However, the beauty and lifestyle of Canada's West Coast was calling him back and he accepted the role of Executive Chef at Fairmont Waterfront in 2019.