Arne Sorenson, chief executive officer of Marriott International Inc., died Monday at the age of 62 after undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Sorenson, whose 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts for $13 billion transformed Marriott into the world’s largest hotel chain, was the company’s first CEO outside the founding family, CNBC reported.
It is with a heavy heart that Marriott International announces that our beloved President and CEO, Arne Sorenson, passed away unexpectedly yesterday after a fight with pancreatic cancer. https://t.co/jhKkyQF3SP pic.twitter.com/BpHJnWrjy9
— Marriott International (@MarriottIntl) February 16, 2021
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“Arne was an exceptional executive – but more than that – he was an exceptional human being,” J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr., the hotel chain’s executive chairman and chairman of the board, said in a prepared statement.
“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,” he added.
The son of a Lutheran missionary, Sorenson was born in Japan, raised in Minnesota and took the Marriott reins in 2012. He was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer in May 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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SOURCE: Action News Jax, Kelli Dugan
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