Marriott CEO dies at 62 after battle with pancreatic cancer

Arne Sorenson, the president and CEO of Marriott International, has died at 62 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The hotel chain announced Sorenson's death on Tuesday, with executive chair J.W. Marriott, Jr. remembering him both as an "exceptional executive" and an "exceptional human being." Sorenson served as Marriott's CEO since 2012 and was the company's first chief executive not from the Marriott family.

Marriott announced in May 2019 that Sorenson had been diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer; Sorenson said at the time he would "continue working at the company I love." Earlier this month, the company said Sorenson would be "temporarily reducing his schedule to facilitate more demanding" cancer treatment. He died "unexpectedly" on Feb. 15, according to Marriott.

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"The roles he relished the most were as husband, father, brother and friend," J.W. Marriott, Jr said. "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."

Marriott's board is expected to appoint a new CEO "within the next two weeks."