Marriott chief executive Arne Sorenson, who turned the company into the world’s largest hotel chain and ran it through a global pandemic that has been catastrophic in the travel industry last year, has died. , said the hotel giant on Tuesday. He was 62 years old.
Sorenson retired from his managerial role earlier this month to pursue more aggressive cancer treatment. In 2019 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer for the first time.
Dieu Nalio Chery / AP
JW Marriott Jr., the company’s chief executive, said Sorenson loved every aspect of the hotel business and enjoyed traveling and meeting with employees around the world.
“Arne was an exceptional executive, but more than that, he was an exceptional human being,” Marriott said in a statement prepared Tuesday.
Sorenson was the first Marriott CEO not to be called Marriott and only the third to lead the company in its 93-year history.
Sorenson joined the firm in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1996, leaving behind a partnership in a Washington law firm where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions. He became Chairman and Chief Operating Officer before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2012.
After becoming Marriott’s top executive, he oversaw the $ 13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels in 2016. He pushed the international chain to be more sustainable while trying to combat human trafficking. He defended gay rights and opposed President Donald Trump’s 2017 ban on traveling from majority Muslim countries
Even in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, when Marriott revenues fell by more than 70%, Sorenson remained optimistic.
“The fact is, people like to travel. They like to travel on their own and they like to travel for work,” Sorenson said in November. “It’s often the most interesting and it’s the place where they’ll learn the most.”
Business and civic leaders were honored on Tuesday, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin. CNBC host Jim Cramer said in a Twitter post that Sorenson believed the business was the “most important source for social change.”
“He was a wonderful leader who led with empathy, integrity and authenticity,” said the president and CEO of General Motors Mary Barra tweeted.
Sorenson served on the board of directors of Microsoft and also on the board of directors of the Special Olympics.
When Sorenson retired from full-time duties this month, Marriott turned to two veteran executives, Stephanie Linnartz and Tony Capuano, to oversee day-to-day operations. They will continue in those roles until the Marriott board appoints a new CEO, who is expected to step down in two weeks, the company said.
Sorenson is survived by his wife, Ruth, and four adult children.