Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International Inc., smiles during a Chicago Executives Club luncheon in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on April 3, 2019.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Arne Sorenson, who turned Marriott International into the world’s largest hotel chain after acquiring Starwood Hotels & Resorts in a $ 13 billion deal in 2016, has passed away. He was 62 and underwent treatment for pancreatic cancer, the company announced Tuesday.
Sorenson, the third CEO in Marriott history and the first outside of its founding family, passed away Monday, the company said.
Sorenson expanded Marriott’s global presence under dozens of brands, including W Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, and Sheraton.
In the past year, he had to lead the company through the Covid pandemic, which has brought most international and domestic travel to a halt.
“Arne was an exceptional executive – but more than that – he was an exceptional person,” said JW Marriott Jr., executive chairman and chairman of the board. “Arne loved every aspect of this business and loved the time he spent visiting our hotels and meeting employees around the world. He had an uncanny ability to anticipate the direction of the hospitality industry and Marriott too. position for growth. But the roles he liked best were as much as husband, father, brother and friend. On behalf of the board and the hundreds of thousands of Marriott employees around the world, we offer our sincere condolences to Arne’s wife and four children We share your heartbreak and we will miss Arne very much. “
The hotel operator had announced in May 2019 that Sorenson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Earlier this month, news shared that the CEO would temporarily shorten his work schedule to accommodate a more demanding treatment.
Earlier this year, Marriott hired two executives: Stephanie Linnartz, group president of consumer, technology and emerging businesses; and Tony Capuano, group chairman of global development, design and operations – to oversee day-to-day operations and fill in for Sorenson.
The company said on Tuesday that Linnartz and Capuano will continue to do so until the board appoints a new CEO, which is expected within two weeks.
Marriott shares were up less than 1% in premarket trading Tuesday, after a decline of about 12% in the past 12 months. The hotel operator has a market cap of nearly $ 42 billion.