J.W. Marriott Jr., the namesake of the luxury hotel brand within the Marriott hotel portfolio, has announced plans to retire as Executive Chairman in MAY after more than 60 years of leadership. In recognition of Mr. Marriott’s leadership and contributions to the company, the Board of Directors formally designated him Chairman Emeritus, effective immediately following the company's upcoming 2022 Annual Meeting.
The Board has elected J.W. Marriott's son, David Marriott, to succeed him as Chairman of the Board, also effective immediately following the Annual Meeting.
J.W. Marriott, Jr. guided what was once a family-run root beer stand and restaurant business to a global hospitality company that is currently comprised of nearly 8,000 properties across 30 brands in 139 countries and territories. He first spent his high school and college years working in a variety of positions in the family’s Hot Shoppes restaurant chain. He then became a full-time associate in 1956, and soon afterward began overseeing the first Marriott hotel. He became President of the company in 1964 and Chief Executive Officer in 1972, a role he held for 40 years before stepping down on 31MAR 2012. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 1985.
“On behalf of the board and the hundreds of thousands of people who wear a Marriott name badge around the world, I’d like to thank Mr. Marriott for his outstanding leadership throughout his tenure with the company. He is truly an industry icon,” said Anthony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International. “I’d also like to congratulate David Marriott on being elected Chairman of the Board. Not only does he have tremendous operational experience from his career at Marriott, but hospitality is in his DNA. I look forward to working alongside him for years to come.”
David Marriott joined Marriott International in 1999 and was elected as a director in 2021. Prior to joining the Board, David held a number of operational roles during his tenure with the company, including most recently as the President, U.S. Full Service Managed by Marriott, where he was responsible for oversight of more than 330 hotels operating under 14 brands in 34 states. Previously, David served as Chief Operations Officer - The Americas Eastern Region from 2010 to 2018 and he also oversaw the U.S. integration efforts of Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
For more information on Marriott, visit the company's web site.
