BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott
International's (NASDAQ: MAR) Board of Directors announced today
that Anthony "Tony" Capuano has been appointed Chief Executive
Officer and has joined the company's Board of Directors, effective
immediately. He was previously Group President, Global Development,
Design and Operations Services. The Board of Directors also
announced that Stephanie Linnartz,
previously Group President, Consumer Operations, Technology and
Emerging Businesses, has been appointed President, effective
immediately. Mr. Capuano's and Ms. Linnartz's appointments follow
the unexpected passing of Marriott
President and CEO Arne
Sorenson on February 15,
2021.
"Tony has played a critical role in Marriott's growth over the
last decade," said J.W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr., Executive Chairman
and Chairman of the Board, Marriott International. "He will be a
terrific leader as we continue to advance our growth strategy while
also navigating the market dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic. He
works thoughtfully and pragmatically with our owner and franchisee
community and has been steadfast in ensuring Marriott delivers
operational excellence and elevated customer experiences at our
properties. Tony has a deep appreciation for Marriott's thousands
of associates who ultimately deliver on our customer and brand
promise and I know he will be a superb steward of our culture.
Together with Stephanie in the role of President, and the rest of
our exceptional leadership team, Marriott could not be in better
hands," Mr. Marriott said.
"I am honored to be appointed to take the helm of Marriott, but
it is a bittersweet moment," said Mr. Capuano. "Arne was a mentor,
a champion and a friend to each member of his close-knit leadership
team. It is because of Arne's efforts that we are prepared to move
forward with this transition. Together, we will advance the
strategy we have in place, which is laser-focused on recovery,
expansion, providing opportunities for our associates, maintaining
constructive relationships with our owners and franchisees,
delivering safe and innovative experiences for our guests and
customers, and building value for our shareholders."
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Capuano, 55, was Group President,
Global Development, Design and Operations Services. In this role,
he was responsible for leading global development and design
efforts and overseeing the company's Global Operations discipline.
During Mr. Capuano's tenure leading global development, the company
grew its footprint from just over 3,200 properties in early 2009 to
over 7,600 properties by year-end 2020. In addition, Mr. Capuano
has overseen the tremendous growth and globalization of Marriott's
development pipeline to 498,000 rooms as of December 31, 2020, with more than half of the
pipeline representing projects outside of the U.S. During the
COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Capuano has led Marriott's work on its
Commitment to Clean initiative, which was designed to enhance
Marriott's already substantial cleaning protocols to provide
additional peace of mind for travelers.
Mr. Capuano began his Marriott career in 1995 as part of the
Market Planning and Feasibility team. Between 1997 and 2005, he led
Marriott's full-service development efforts in the Western U.S.
& Canada. From 2005 to 2008,
Mr. Capuano served as Senior Vice President of full-service
development for North America. In
2008, his responsibilities expanded to include all of U.S. &
Canada and the Caribbean and Latin
America, and he became Executive Vice President and Global
Chief Development Officer in 2009. Mr. Capuano began his
professional career in Laventhol and Horwath's Boston-based Leisure Time Advisory Group. He
then joined Kenneth Leventhal and
Company's hospitality consulting group in Los Angeles. Mr. Capuano earned his bachelor's
degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell
University. He is an active member of the Cornell Hotel
Society and a member of The Cornell School of Hotel Administration
Dean's Advisory Board. Mr. Capuano is also a member of the American
Hotel and Lodging Association's Industry Real Estate Financial
Advisory Council.
Stephanie Linnartz Takes on
President Role
As President, Ms. Linnartz will be responsible for developing
and executing all aspects of the company's global consumer
strategy, including brand, marketing, sales, revenue management,
customer engagement, digital, information technology, emerging
businesses and loyalty strategies. In addition, Ms. Linnartz will
oversee Marriott's global development organization, which is
responsible for the strategic growth of the company's 30 lodging
brands, as well as the global design and operations services
functions. Ms. Linnartz will also spearhead the company's progress
on issues including the intersection of technology and hospitality,
the continued growth of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty platform, the
excellence of our brand portfolio, and environmental
sustainability.
"Stephanie has a leadership track record and clear vision for
how our core lodging business, travel platform initiatives and
loyalty strategies can work together to accelerate growth," said
Mr. Marriott. "Her deep experience across our business will enable
her to work seamlessly with our owners and franchisees, innovate
for our guests and customers, and champion new opportunities for
our associates. Tony and Stephanie are exactly the CEO and
President we need as we continue to push forward towards recovery
and growth in the years ahead."
"Every member of the leadership team feels a profound sense of
loss at Arne's passing. He was not just a friend and a leader for
us, he was a guidepost for the hospitality industry," said Ms.
Linnartz. "The best way we can honor Arne's memory is to
continue to move the company forward. It is my privilege to take on
the role of President and to work with Tony and the rest of the
executive team to ensure a seamless transition and to successfully
execute our strategy."
Prior to this appointment, Ms. Linnartz, 52, was Group
President, Consumer Operations, Technology and Emerging Businesses,
where she was responsible for brand, marketing, sales, revenue
management, customer engagement, digital, information technology,
emerging businesses and loyalty strategies. Ms. Linnartz played a
pivotal role during Marriott's acquisition of Starwood Hotels &
Resorts, overseeing the integration of business-critical systems
including reservations, property management, revenue management and
loyalty. In 2019, under her leadership, the company combined the
Marriott and Starwood loyalty programs to create the world's
largest hospitality loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which
currently has more than 147 million global members.
Ms. Linnartz, who began her Marriott career in 1997, served as
Global Chief Commercial Officer from 2013 to 2019; Global Officer,
Sales and Revenue Management from 2009 to 2013; Senior Vice
President, Global Sales from 2008 to 2009; Senior Vice President,
Sales and Marketing Planning and Support from 2005 to 2008; and
prior to that, various roles in Marriott's Finance and Business
Development Department. She currently serves on the board of
directors of The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement
retailer. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and
government from the College of the Holy
Cross, where she is a member of the Board of Trustees, and
earned her Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary.
About Marriott International
Marriott International,
Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda,
Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than
7,600 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 133 countries and
territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses
vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers
Marriott BonvoyTM, its highly– awarded travel program.
For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com,
and for the latest company news, visit
www.marriottnewscenter.com.
CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
All statements in this press release are made as of
February 23, 2021. We undertake no
obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This
press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of federal securities laws, including statements related to
the company's strategy, growth prospects, development pipeline,
growth of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty platform, leadership
transition, and similar statements concerning anticipated future
events and expectations that are not historical facts. We caution
you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance
and are subject to numerous evolving risks and uncertainties that
we may not be able to accurately predict or assess, including the
risk factors that we identify in our Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") filings, including our most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K.
IRPR#1
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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.