Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson dies aged 62 after pancreatic cancer battle

Mr Sorenson was first CEO from outside founding family

Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International, testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee hearing on 7 March, 2019 (Getty Images)

Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International has died after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, the hotel chain announced.

Mr Sorenson, 62, passed away on Monday just two weeks after the company said that he would temporarily reduce his schedule to facilitate more demanding treatment. His death was described as unexpected.

Diagnosed with stage two pancreatic cancer in May 2019, he was undergoing treatment at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

He was the third CEO in Marriott’s history and the first without the Marriott surname, hired from outside of the founding family.

Taking up the role in 2012, Mr Sorenson oversaw a period of strong growth, as well as the $13bn acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

In a statement, the company said that he was known for his leadership on difficult national and global issues, and steered the company to make significant progress on diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and human trafficking awareness.

He also advocated for LGBT+ rights, opposing discriminatory legislation in both Indiana and North Carolina. In a November 2016 open letter to Donald Trump, he called on the president-elect to minimise divisiveness in the area of LGBT+ rights.

Mr Sorenson also called on the then-incoming president to institute a major infrastructure investment plan and adopt a transparent approach to immigration. He spoke out against the travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries when it was imposed in early 2017.

A video message by Mr Sorenson in March 2020 drew attention for demonstrating leadership in a time of crisis as he addressed company associates at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Arne was an exceptional executive – but more than that – he was an exceptional human being,” said JW Marriott Jr, executive chairman and chairman of the board of Marriott International.

He continued: “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.”

When Mr Sorenson stepped back from full-time management in early February, Stephanie Linnartz, group president of consumer operations, technology, and emerging businesses, and Tony Capuano, group president of global development, design, and operations services, were asked to share responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the company.

They will continue in this capacity until the board appoints a new CEO, which is expected to be within the next two weeks.