My gosh, this is tragic. Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson passed away unexpectedly yesterday (February 15, 2021) at the age of 62. In May 2019 it was revealed that Sorenson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and earlier this month it was revealed that Sorenson would temporarily reduce his schedule to facilitate more demanding treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Sorenson was CEO of Marriott since 2012, only the third CEO of the company, and the first without the last name Marriott.
JW Marriott Jr., Executive Chairman of Marriott, said the following, about Sorenson’s passing:
“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.”
Marriott plans to appoint a new CEO within the next two weeks. In the meantime, two veteran Marriott executives will be managing the company. They were tagged for that early in February, when it was announced that Sorenson would be reducing his schedule.
These people are Stephanie Linnartz, Group President, Consumer Operations, Technology, and Emerging Businesses, and Tony Capuano, Group President, Global Development, Design and Operations Services.
My thoughts are with Sorenson’s family and friends. This is simply heartbreaking.
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