Marriott International Inc. chose Tony Capuano as its new CEO, choosing a longtime veteran of the world’s largest hotel company to lead him through the industry’s most devastating period in memory.
Mr. Capuano, 55, has been with the company for 25 years and most recently was a group president responsible for leading Marriott’s global development, design efforts and operations.
He takes first place after former CEO and President Arne Sorenson died last week. Sorenson was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer in 2019. Stephanie Linnartz, 52, president of the Marriott group overseeing consumer operations, technology and emerging businesses, is the company’s new president.
Heading Marriott, a global hosting giant with 1.4 million rooms, Capuano takes on one of the most challenging jobs in all American businesses.
The hotel industry is still recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused global travel to dry up, caused the closure of hotels in U.S. cities and forced rounds of layoffs and licenses across the industry. Mr. Capuano is also replacing a dear CEO who made a point of connecting with everyone, from the company’s group leaders to the housekeepers.