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The president and CEO of Marriott International, Arne Sorenson, died on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. His “unexpected” death came after he battled with pancreatic cancer for two years. The hotel chain announced his death on February 16.
Two weeks ago the company announced that Sorenson was reducing his work hours due to pancreatic cancer treatments. In May 2019, he was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer.
The company’s executive chairman, J.W. Marriott, Jr., stated that Sorenson was an “exceptional executive, but more than that, he was an exceptional human being.” Marriott further stated that the CEO had a great mind for business.
The executive chairman added that the role Sorenson “relished the most were as husband, father, brother and friend.” Sorenson was the company’s third CEO. He was the first person outside of the family to fulfill the position.
In 2016, he oversaw a $12 billion merger between Starwood and Marriott. He received high praises from the company for his “leadership on difficult national and global issues.”
Before his death, he had taken a leave from work. Marriott executives Tony Capuano and Stephanie Linnartz filled in for him. They will continue to do so now that he has suddenly died.
The company is expecting to name a new CEO within two weeks. The late CEO got his CEO position with Marriott in 2012.
Before that, he was Marriott’s President and Chief Operating Officer. He joined the company in 1996. His previous roles in the company include Executive Vice president, Chief Finacial Officer, President of Continental European Lodging, and Senior Vice President of Business Development.
In 2011, he was elected into the Marriott’s Board of Directors. He was also a member of the Business Roundtable. Sorenson served on both of the Roundtable’s infrastructure and immigration Committees. The late CEO was also a member of the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council.
He is survived by his brother, children, and family. May he rest in peace.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Marriott: Arne M. Sorenson
CNN: Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson has died after pancreatic cancer fight; by Jordan Valinsky
Featured Image by World Travel & Tourism Council Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of World Economic Forum’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License