The Marriott board appointed current CEO Anthony Capuano as both president and CEO effective Feb. 24. He takes on the additional mantle following the planned departure of current President Stephanie Linnartz, who is leaving to become president and CEO of Under Armour.
Since taking over as CEO from the late Arne Sorenson in early 2021, Capuano has overseen a number of accomplishments at the company. As of the end of his first year in the job, Marriott's worldwide system consisted of nearly 8,000 properties and roughly 1.48 million rooms, and the company’s global development pipeline had roughly 485,000 rooms. The company signed 599 agreements during 2021, representing approximately 92,000 rooms. In 2022, the company signed an average of two deals a day for a total of 726 management and franchise agreements representing nearly 108,000 rooms. The company added 394 properties in Capuano’s second year as CEO, representing more than 65,000 rooms on a gross basis, growing the system 4.4 percent. At the end of 2022, Marriott’s worldwide system consisted of nearly 8,300 properties and roughly 1.5 million rooms
Last summer, Marriott moved to its new headquarters in Bethesda, Md., emphasizing a new flexible corporate culture. In the autumn, the company announced a $100 million deal to acquire Mexico’s City Express brand portfolio, marking Marriott’s 31st brand as well as its entry into the affordable midscale segment.
Before becoming CEO, Capuano held a number of roles within Marriott. As group president, global development, design and operations services, Capuano was responsible for leading global development and design efforts and overseeing the company’s global operations discipline. During Capuano’s tenure leading global development, the company grew from just over 3,200 properties in early 2009 to more than 7,600 properties by year-end 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Capuano has led Marriott’s work on its Commitment to Clean initiative.
Capuano began his Marriott career in 1995 as part of the market planning and feasibility team. Between 1997 and 2005, he led Marriott’s full-service development efforts in the Western U.S. & Canada. From 2005 to 2008, Capuano served as SVP of full-service development for North America. In 2008, his responsibilities expanded to include all of U.S. & Canada and the Caribbean and Latin America, and he became EVP and global chief development officer in 2009. Capuano began his professional career in Laventhol and Horwath’s Boston-based Leisure Time Advisory Group. He then joined Kenneth Leventhal and Company’s hospitality consulting group in Los Angeles. Capuano earned his bachelor’s degree in hotel administration from Cornell University. He is an active member of the Cornell Hotel Society and a member of The Cornell School of Hotel Administration Dean’s Advisory Board. Capuano is also a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Industry Real Estate Financial Advisory Council.