Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s CEO, who grew the company into the world’s largest hotel chain and led it through a global pandemic that was catastrophic in the travel industry last year, has passed away, the hotel giant said Tuesday. He was 62.
Sorenson stepped down from his management role earlier this month to pursue a more aggressive cancer treatment. He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019.
Dieu Nalio Chery / AP
JW Marriott Jr., the company’s executive chairman, said Sorenson loved every aspect of the hotel industry and loved to travel and meet employees around the world.
“Arne was an exceptional executive – but more than that – he was an exceptional person,” Marriott said in a prepared statement on Tuesday.
Sorenson was the first Marriott CEO whose name was not Marriott, and only the third to lead the company in its 93-year history.
Sorenson joined Bethesda, Maryland in 1996, and left a partnership in a Washington law firm where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions. He rose to president and chief operating officer before being named CEO in 2012.
After becoming the top manager of Marriott, he oversaw the $ 13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels in 2016. He pushed the international chain to become more sustainable while fighting human trafficking. He advocated gay rights and opposed President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from Muslim countries in 2017
Even at the bottom of the coronavirus pandemic, when Marriott’s revenues plummeted more than 70%, Sorenson remained optimistic.
“The fact is, people love to travel. They love to travel for themselves and they love to travel for work,” Sorenson said in November. “It is often the most interesting and it is where they will learn the most.”
The tribute poured in on Tuesday from business and civic leaders, including the Maryland government Larry Hogan and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin. CNBC presenter Jim Cramer said in a Twitter post that Sorenson believed business was the “greatest source of social change.”
“He was a great leader who led with empathy, integrity and authenticity,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra tweeted
Sorenson served on the Microsoft board of directors and the Special Olympics board of directors.
When Sorenson stepped down from his full-time position this month, Marriott turned to two experienced executives, Stephanie Linnartz and Tony Capuano, to oversee the day-to-day operations. They will continue to hold those positions until Marriott’s board of directors appoints a new CEO, which is expected to happen within two weeks, the company said.
Sorenson leaves behind his wife Ruth and four grown children.