Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson has died, just weeks after the company said he was stepping back from his schedule to have more demanding treatment for pancreatic cancer. He was aged 62.
J.W. Marriott, Jr., Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, paid tribute to him saying: “Arne was an exceptional executive – but more than that – he was an exceptional human being.
“Arne loved every aspect of this business and relished time spent touring our hotels and meeting associates around the world. He had an uncanny ability to anticipate where the hospitality industry was headed and position Marriott for growth.
“But the roles he relished the most were as husband, father, brother and friend. On behalf of the Board and Marriott’s hundreds of thousands of associates around the world, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Arne’s wife and four children. We share your heartbreak, and we will miss Arne deeply.”
Scott Davies, CEO of ITM, described Sorenson as a “giant of our industry” who will be “so much missed”.
Sorenson became the third CEO in Marriott’s history in 2012, the first without the Marriott surname.
When he stepped back from full-time management in early February, two veteran Marriott executives, Stephanie Linnartz, Group President, Consumer Operations, Technology and Emerging Businesses, and Tony Capuano, Group President, Global Development, Design and Operations Services, were appointed to share responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company’s business units and corporate functions, in addition to maintaining their current responsibilities.
Marriott confirmed that they will continue in this capacity until the Marriott Board appoints a new CEO, which is expected to be within the next two weeks.
