In a development that has captured global attention, beauty queens representing nations from every continent are preparing to converge upon Thailand for the much-anticipated Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to unfold between November 2 and 21. Yet, as the spotlight readies to illuminate the main stage, an unexpected shift has occurred behind the scenes—an executive upheaval that may reshape the direction of one of the world’s most prestigious international events. On Wednesday, the Miss Universe Organization revealed a significant change in its corporate leadership: Anne Jakrajutatip, the trailblazing entrepreneur who had been serving as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, has officially been replaced.
Anne Jakrajutatip, a Thai business magnate and media personality, had already etched her name in history when she became the first woman—and the first transgender woman—to own the near–three-quarter-century-old competition. Her company, the Bangkok-based JKN Global Group, purchased the Miss Universe brand from Endeavor in October 2022 for approximately $20 million, marking a defining moment not only for her business career but also for the representation of gender diversity in corporate ownership. Her successor, Mario Búcaro, is a respected statesman and former diplomat who most recently served as Miss Universe’s Vice President for International Relations, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the organization’s international reach. Prior to joining the pageant, Búcaro had built a distinguished career representing Guatemala in global affairs, having served as ambassador to countries including Israel, Mexico, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, and later holding the position of Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs for two years.
Neither Jakrajutatip nor the Miss Universe Organization immediately responded to formal requests for comment regarding this abrupt leadership handover. According to the official statement, Búcaro will now helm the organization alongside Raúl Rocha, who continues as president—a title he has held since his company, Legacy Holding Group USA Inc., acquired a 50% stake in the Miss Universe brand in January 2024. Although Rocha has not yet issued a public response, the organization emphasized that its leadership team remains committed to stability and continuity during this time of transition.
The Miss Universe Organization’s announcement praised Búcaro’s contributions to the pageant’s global expansion, noting that his diplomatic acumen has helped establish a presence in more than 130 countries and territories. As the new CEO, his mandate will center on enhancing international collaboration, deepening cultural exchange, and refining the contestant experience while maintaining the competition’s longstanding values of integrity, equity, and transparency. “The Board of the Miss Universe Organization expresses its complete confidence in Mario Búcaro’s leadership,” the statement declared, describing his appointment as a decisive step into a new era characterized by growth and renewed global influence. It further articulated his vision of Miss Universe not merely as a beauty competition, but as a global movement designed to celebrate authenticity, personal transformation, and women’s empowerment—principles that continue to unite diverse cultures while inspiring new opportunities for women around the world.
When Anne Jakrajutatip initially acquired Miss Universe in 2022, her leadership heralded a historic milestone. Her first address as the organization’s owner, delivered during the 2023 competition, was widely regarded as a landmark declaration of inclusivity and empowerment. She proclaimed that the pageant would henceforth be “run by women, owned by a trans woman, for all women around the world,” igniting hope among advocates of diversity in pageantry. However, her visionary start soon met formidable financial headwinds. By September 2023, JKN Global Group missed a major payment on a multimillion-dollar loan, prompting the company to acknowledge, in a letter to Thailand’s stock exchange, that its liquidity situation no longer aligned with projected forecasts. As a result, the business petitioned the bankruptcy court for restructuring, signaling distress at the parent company level.
By mid-2025, speculation began circulating that Jakrajutatip might be stepping away from her leadership role following allegations by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission accused her and her sister, Pimauma Jakrajutatip, of submitting misleading or inaccurate data within JKN Global’s 2023 financial statements and in its first-quarter 2024 accounting reports. On June 6, JKN Global formally notified Thailand’s Stock Exchange that both sisters had resigned and that an independent audit was underway to review the company’s records. Despite those reports, the same day, Miss Universe issued a statement publicly denying any leadership change, reaffirming that Jakrajutatip remained in full control. Yet, the organization’s latest announcement contradicts that stance, confirming her resignation as CEO on June 20, with an explanation that she would be redirecting her focus toward family matters.
Prior to her eventual resignation, Jakrajutatip had been an inescapable figure within the pageant world. Before the 72nd Miss Universe competition in El Salvador, she expressed fierce dedication, calling the pageant her “first priority in life” and pledging to preserve its reputation as the “legendary Beauty Olympics of the world.” Through a series of statements and public posts, she repeatedly vowed to safeguard the pageant’s legacy and ensure its continued prominence. However, controversy soon began to shadow her administration. A leaked video from an internal staff meeting in October 2023 revealed Jakrajutatip making contentious remarks about contestant diversity, which she later clarified as referencing casting discussions for a potential Miss Universe–themed reality program. Additional public appearances, such as an Instagram Live broadcast with her advisor, the Venezuelan pageant impresario Osmel Sousa, provoked criticism after the duo were seen laughing at contestants’ photos—an episode that some interpreted as unprofessional and inconsistent with the pageant’s public image.
Following the crowning of Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, as Miss Universe 2024, Jakrajutatip’s public comments again drew scrutiny. She suggested that the pageant “had already reached perfection” and implied that little room for further evolution remained, remarks which observers perceived as dismissive of the competition’s global mission of inclusivity. Additionally, allegations surfaced from Denise White, a former Miss Universe judge, who claimed Jakrajutatip privately pressured long-standing president Paula Shugart to ensure that Miss Thailand secured a finalist placement during the 2023 competition. Shugart allegedly resisted such demands and resigned mid-event, while Thailand’s delegate ultimately placed as first runner-up. Jakrajutatip never publicly responded to these claims.
The Miss Universe Organization has not been isolated in confronting managerial and reputational challenges. Its subsidiary operation, Miss USA, has also undergone turmoil under previous leadership. After two tumultuous years under CEO Laylah Rose—marked by contest controversies and administrative missteps—the organization announced a fresh start in September 2024 by appointing media executive Thom Brodeur as the new overseer of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. Brodeur was tasked with the formidable responsibility of organizing both pageants, held in Reno, Nevada, within just four weeks of preparation. During those events, Mario Búcaro was seen seated prominently in the VIP section, likely contemplating his own forthcoming transition into Miss Universe’s top leadership role.
As contestants and audiences once again turn their eyes toward Thailand, this confluence of renewal and uncertainty sets the stage for a new chapter in Miss Universe’s extraordinary seven-decade history. Under Búcaro’s stewardship, the organization seeks not merely to recover from corporate turbulence, but to reestablish itself as a symbol of cultural dialogue, female empowerment, and global unity—a legacy that began decades ago and continues to evolve under the shifting lights of the international stage.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-universe-pageant-new-ceo-mario-bucaro-anne-jakrajutatip-replaced-2025-10
