Arne Sorenson, president and chief government officer of Marriott Worldwide Inc., smiles throughout a Chicago Executives Membership luncheon in Chi
Arne Sorenson, president and chief government officer of Marriott Worldwide Inc., smiles throughout a Chicago Executives Membership luncheon in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs
Arne Sorenson, who turned Marriott Worldwide into the world’s largest lodge chain after buying Starwood Accommodations & Resorts in a $13 billion deal in 2016, has died. He was 62 and had been present process remedy for pancreatic most cancers, the corporate introduced Tuesday.
Sorenson, the third CEO in Marriott’s historical past and the primary outdoors the founding household, died Monday, the corporate stated.
Sorenson expanded Marriott’s presence worldwide underneath dozens of manufacturers, together with W Accommodations, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard and Sheraton.
Prior to now 12 months, he needed to lead the enterprise by the Covid pandemic, which has introduced most world and home journey to a standstill.
“Arne was an distinctive government – however greater than that – he was an distinctive human being,” stated J.W. Marriott Jr., government chairman and chairman of the board. “Arne cherished each side of this enterprise and relished time spent touring our resorts and assembly associates around the globe. He had an uncanny skill to anticipate the place the hospitality business was headed and place Marriott for progress. However the roles he relished essentially the most had been as husband, father, brother and buddy. On behalf of the Board and Marriott’s a whole bunch of 1000’s of associates around the globe, we lengthen our heartfelt condolences to Arne’s spouse and 4 kids. We share your heartbreak, and we are going to miss Arne deeply.”
The lodge operator had introduced in Might 2019 that Sorenson had been recognized with pancreatic most cancers. Earlier this month, it shared the information that the CEO could be quickly chopping again his work schedule to accommodate extra demanding remedy.
Earlier this 12 months, Marriott tapped two executives – Stephanie Linnartz, group president of shopper operations, expertise and rising companies; and Tony Capuano, group president of worldwide improvement, design and operations companies – to supervise day-to-day operations, filling in for Sorenson.
The corporate stated Tuesday that Linnartz and Capuano will proceed to take action till the board appoints a brand new CEO, which is predicted to be inside two weeks.
Marriott shares had been up lower than 1% in premarket buying and selling Tuesday, having fallen about 12% over the previous 12 months. The lodge operator has a market cap of almost $42 billion.