Marriott International announced today Tony Capuano has been appointed CEO and Stephanie Linnartz has been appointed president, both effective immediately.

Capuano and Linnartz assumed responsibility in early February for the day-to-day operations of the company’s business units and corporate functions when Marriott announced Arne Sorenson would step back from full-time management for further cancer treatment. Previously, Capuano served as group president of global development, design and operations services, and Linnartz as group president of consumer operations, technology and emerging businesses.

Sorenson, who was president and CEO since 2012, died Feb. 15.

Capuano joined Marriott in 1995 as part of the company’s market planning and feasibility team. He led Marriott’s full-service efforts in the western U.S. and Canada from 1998 to 2005. After that, he was senior vice president of full-service development for North America until 2008, when his responsibilities expanded to include all the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. In 2009, he became executive vice president and global chief development officer.

In his previous role, Capuano was responsible for leading global development and design efforts as well as overseeing the company's global operations discipline. While he served in this role, Marriott’s footprint grew from more than 3,200 properties in early 2009 to more than 7,600 by the end of 2020. The global development pipeline reached 498,000 rooms as of Dec. 31, with more than half of the pipeline projects are outside of the U.S.

Capuano also led the company’s Commitment to Clean initiative after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the company news release, J.W. Marriott Jr., executive chairman and chairman of the board, said Capuano played a critical role in Marriott’s growth over the past decade.

"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 said of Capuano. “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.”

Capuano, who will also join the company’s board of directors, said in the news release his appointment was both an honor and a bittersweet moment.

"Arne was a mentor, a champion and a friend to each member of his close-knit leadership team,” he said. “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."

In her new role as president, Linnartz will be responsible for developing and executing Marriott’s global consumer strategy. She will also oversee the company’s global development organization, which is responsible for the strategic growth of Marriott’s 30 brands as well as the global design and operations services functions.

In addition to those responsibilities, Linnartz will lead Marriott’s progress on several fronts, including the intersection of technology and hospitality, the continued growth of Marriott Bonvoy and environmental sustainability.

Linnartz joined Marriott in 1997, working in various roles in the company’s finance and business development departments. From 2005 to 2008, she was senior vice president of sales and marketing planning and support and then senior vice president of global sales from 2008 to 2009. She served as global officer on the sales and revenue management team from 2009 to 2013 and global chief commercial officer from 2013 to 2019.

As group president of consumer operations, technology and emerging businesses, Linnartz was responsible for brand, marketing, sales, revenue management, customer engagement, digital, information technology, emerging businesses and loyalty strategies. During the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, she oversaw the integration of business-critical systems, such as reservations, property management, revenue management and loyalty. Under her leadership, the company in 2019 combined Marriott’s and Starwood’s loyalty programs to create Marriott Bonvoy.

In the company news release, J.W. Marriott Jr. said Linnartz has a track record of leadership and a clear vision for how the company’s core hotel business, travel platform initiatives and loyalty strategies can work together to accelerate growth.

“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,” he said. “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 Marriott’s leadership team feels a profound sense of loss from Sorenson’s death, Linnartz said in the release.

“He was not just a friend and a leader for us, he was a guidepost for the hospitality industry," she said. "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."