Marriott CEO to begin pancreatic cancer treatment
Marriott International, the world's largest hotel company, disclosed on Friday that its president and CEO Arne Sorenson has been diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer and will begin treatment next week.
Sorenson delivered an upbeat outlook in a statement released by the company,
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAR | MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL INC. | 283.44 | +3.89 | +1.39% |
"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.”
The hotel executive will continue working while receiving chemotherapy; his doctors anticipate surgery near the end of 2019. He received the diagnosis from a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Marriott is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.
In a January 2018 interview with FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo, Sorenson discussed what he described as a "multi-year process" of combining his brand with Starwood Hotels, which the company purchased in 2016 for $13 billion.
More recently, in March, Sorenson apologized before a U.S. Senate panel for a data breach that affected nearly 400 million customers.
Marriott shares rose on Friday and have gained over 26 percent this year.
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Sorenson, along with Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek, is among the many CEOs and executives who are working while being treated for cancer. Separately, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munez received a heart transplant in 2016 and is leading the company today.