Marriott Chief Executive Arne Sorenson, who turned the company into the world’s largest hotel chain and led it during a global pandemic that was catastrophic in the travel industry last year, died, the hotel giant said on Tuesday. He was 62 years old.
Sorenson stepped down from his management role earlier this month to seek more aggressive cancer treatment. He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019.
Dieu Nalio Chery / AP
JW Marriott Jr., the company’s chief executive, said Sorenson loved every aspect of the hotel business and loved to travel and meet 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 on Tuesday.
Sorenson was the first Marriott CEO whose name was not Marriott, and only the third to lead the company in 93 years of history.
Sorenson joined Bethesda, Maryland, a company in 1996, leaving behind a partnership at a Washington law firm, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions. He was promoted to president and chief operating officer before being appointed CEO in 2012.
After becoming Marriott’s chief executive, he oversaw the $ 13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels in 2016. He encouraged the international network to become more sustainable while trying to combat human trafficking. He defended gay rights and opposed President Donald Trump’s ban on traveling from Muslim-majority countries in 2017
Even at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when Marriott’s revenue plunged more than 70%, Sorenson remained optimistic.
“The fact is, people love to travel. They love to travel on their own and on business,” said Sorenson in November. “It is often the most interesting and is the place where they will learn the most.”
They received honors on Tuesday from business and civic leaders, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Congressman Jamie Raskin. CNBC host Jim Cramer said in a post on Twitter that Sorenson believed that business was the “biggest source of social change”.
“He was a wonderful leader who led with empathy, integrity and authenticity,” General Motors President and CEO Mary Barra tweeted.
Sorenson served on the board of directors for Microsoft, as well as the board of directors for Special Olympics.
When Sorenson left full-time work this month, Marriott turned to two veteran executives, Stephanie Linnartz and Tony Capuano, to oversee day-to-day operations. They will continue in these roles until Marriott’s board appoints a new CEO, which is expected to happen within two weeks, the company said.
Sorenson leaves his wife, Ruth, and four adult children.