ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA 
Marriott International has named Tony Capuano as it new chief executive officer following the death of its former CEO, Arne Sorenson, who passed on last month. Capuano was the formal global development division head. This is according to a report by Skift. Capuano, aged 55 said he is poised together with the team to move the hotel forward, commending the good work done by the former CEO, whom he described as a mentor, a champion and friend of every member of his leadership team. “Arne was a mentor, a champion and a friend to each member of his close-knit leadership team,” Capuano.
“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,” said the new CEO in a statement. Capuano, a native of Baltimore, he joined Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott in 1995 on the company’s market planning and feasibility team before going on to lead the company’s full-service development efforts on the U.S. West Coast and Canada.
He later expanded his oversight to global development. A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Capuano now lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife and daughter. He is also a member of the board of directors of Save Venice, a non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy.
“Tony has played a critical role in Marriott’s growth over the last decade,” said J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr., Marriott’s executive chairman and chairman of the board. Adding that: “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.”
As made public by the company, Marriott’s financial recovery remains the top task of the incoming CEO. At the worst of the pandemic, global occupancy at the company averaged 12 per cent and revenue per available room – the hotel industry’s key performance metric – was down by 90 per cent. Global occupancy was still only averaging 35 per cent in the fourth quarter. “Certainly, in addition to making folks safe, we’ve got to get them enthused
