Marriot International Chief Executive Arne Sorenson passes away at 62

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Marriot International has recently announced the death of Chief Executive, Arne Sorenson, at the age of 62. The industry leader stepped away from his role earlier this month to facilitate more demanding treatment for pancreatic cancer. Sorenson was only the third chief executive in the history of Marriott in 2012, and the first without the Marriott surname.

As its leader, Sorenson put the company on a strong growth trajectory that included the $13-billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman, Marriott International said in a statement that Arne was an exceptional executive but more than that – he was an exceptional human being. He shared that Arne loved every aspect of the business and relished the time spent touring hotels and meeting associates around the world. He also mentioned that Sorenson had an uncanny ability to anticipate where the hospitality industry was headed and positioned Marriott for growth.

When Sorenson stepped back from full-time management in early February, the company tapped 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, to share responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the business units and corporate functions, in addition to maintaining their current responsibilities. Linnartz and Capuano will continue their roles until the Marriott Board appoints a new Chief Executive, which is expected to be within the next two weeks.

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