Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson was diagnosed on Wednesday with stage 2 pancreatic cancer. The 60-year-old executive will remain in his role while he undergoes treatment, the company said Friday.

In a message to Marriott International associates, Sorenson noted: “The cancer was discovered early. It does not appear to have spread and the medical team — and I — are confident that we can realistically aim for a complete cure. In the meantime, I intend to continue working at the company I love. Let me make one request, look ahead with me. We have great work underway at Marriott. I am as excited by what we can accomplish together as I have ever been.”

Sorenson, who has been with Marriott since 1996, became its chief executive in 2012. He is the first person outside the Marriott family to lead the company. During his tenure, Marriott engineered one of the biggest takeovers in hospitality history with the $13.3 billion merger with Starwood in 2016, and the subsequent merger of the loyalty programs at those two companies. And just this week, Marriott announced it was pushing ahead into the homesharing business.

Sorenson received his diagnosis from a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after a series of tests. He will seek treatment starting next week with chemotherapy. His doctors anticipate surgery near year-end 2019.