Lanai’s new owner Larry Ellison has appointed Lanai-born Kurt Matsumoto as his top executive on the island to oversee operations including two resorts and real estate development.

Matsumoto was named chief operating officer of Lanai Resorts LLC, the company managing the 97 percent of the island Ellison bought in June from Castle & Cooke.

Matsumoto assumes the position Dec. 1, and will leave his present job as general manager of The Club at Kukui’ula, a luxury residential golf community on Kauai.

The appointment allows Ellison to have someone with roots on Lanai help shape the island’s future. Matsumoto also has experience running the island’s two resort hotels, The Lodge at Koele and Manele Bay Hotel, as vice president of resorts and administration for Castle & Cooke’s Lanai Co. Inc. from 1991 to 2000.