Marriott International Appoints Tony Capuano as New CEO

Veteran in Marriott Brand Strategy for 25 Years
Expected as a Savior Amid COVID-19 "The Most Difficult Crisis in History"

Tony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marriott International [Image source=Marriott International official website]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain, has appointed Tony Capuano, head of Marriott International Development, as its new CEO. The new CEO Capuano is an industry veteran who has led Marriott's major brand strategies for 25 years and is expected to become a new savior for Marriott, which has been struggling financially due to the impact of COVID-19.

According to foreign media such as CNBC, on the 23rd (local time), Marriott International announced in a statement that it had appointed Capuano as the new CEO. Previously, on the 16th, former Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson passed away from pancreatic cancer, and Capuano had been serving as co-acting CEO alongside Stephanie Linnartz, head of customer operations.

Since joining Marriott in 1995, CEO Capuano has led key brand strategies including global expansion plans and business feasibility assessments for the Marriott brand, and has been recognized as a top industry veteran who has long managed operations in the Americas region.

Going forward, he will bear the heavy responsibility of turning Marriott, which posted a large deficit last year amid severe financial difficulties during the COVID-19 crisis, back into profitability. Marriott recorded a loss of $267 million (approximately 296.1 billion KRW) last year, marking its largest loss since the aftermath of the 2009 global financial crisis.

CEO Capuano emphasized, "This is the most difficult crisis in the history of the travel industry," adding, "The most important thing right now is to make hotels a place where consumers can feel safe."

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