Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson died Monday February 15 2021. had been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Sorenson was the third CEO in Marriott’s history and the first outside its founding family. He was credited with turning Marriott International into the world’s largest hotel chain after acquiring Starwood Hotels & Resorts in a $13 billion deal in 2016.
Mr. Sorenson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Marriott International, Inc., a position he has held since 1998. Since 2003, Mr. Sorenson has also held the additional title of President, Continental European Lodging. Mr. Sorenson joined Marriott in 1996 as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Prior to joining Marriott, he was a partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C.
He was on the boards of Microsoft and the Special Olympics and was a trustee of the Brookings Institution.
Born in October 13, 1958 in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Sorenson grew up in St. Paul, Minn. He graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and the University of Minnesota Law School.
Mr. Sorenson is survived by his wife, Ruth, and four children.
