Arne M. Sorenson

Arne M. Sorenson is president and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc., a leading global lodging company with more than 3,700 lodging properties in 74 countries and territories and reported revenues of over $12 billion in fiscal year 2011.

Marriott International operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 18 brands, including Marriott Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Bulgari, EDITION, Renaissance, Gaylord Hotels, Autograph Collection, AC Hotels by Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Marriott Executive Apartments and Marriott Vacation Club.

Previously, Mr. Sorenson was Marriott’s president and chief operating officer. Earlier, he served as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and president of Continental European Lodging, with responsibility for lodging operations and development in the continental European region, as well as the company’s overall financial functions.

Prior to joining Marriott in 1996, Mr. Sorenson was a partner with the law firm Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions litigation.

Mr. Sorenson is chairman of Marriott’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Council, which complements the efforts of the Marriott Board of Directors’ Committee for Excellence to monitor and evaluate the progress of our company’s strategy to promote an increasingly diverse workforce, as well as ownership, customer and vendor communities around the world.  Mr. Sorenson also serves on the Committee for Excellence.  He co-founded Marriott’s Global Sustainability Council in 2007, and in 2008, he launched Marriott’s rainforest preservation partnership with the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation in Brazil.  Mr. Sorenson was elected to Marriott International’s board of directors in 2011.  He also serves on the boards of directors of Wal Mart Stores, Inc., the Corporation for Travel Promotion and Luther College.
Mr. Sorenson is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  He resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Ruth.  They have four children.