J.W. Marriott to Retire

The long-time head of the Marriott brand, J.W. Marriott Jr. will retire from his role as executive chairman in May.

The company announced that upon his retirement, J.W. Marriott Jr. would become the company’s chairman emeritus and be succeeded by his son, David Marriott, as chairman. of Marriott International.

Marriott has held the role of chairman since 1985. He became president of the company in 1964 and CEO in 1972, a role he held for 40 years until 2012, during which time he guided what was once a family-run root beer stand and restaurant business to a global hospitality company that is today comprised of nearly 8,000 properties across 30 brands in 139 countries and territories.

His passion for the hospitality industry began at an early age. He spent his high school and college years working in a variety of positions in the family’s Hot Shoppes restaurant chain. He became a full-time associate in 1956, and soon afterward began overseeing the first Marriott hotel.

“On behalf of the board and the hundreds of thousands of people who wear a Marriott name badge around the world, I’d like to thank Mr. Marriott for his outstanding leadership throughout his tenure with the company. He is truly an industry icon,” said Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International. “I’d also like to congratulate David Marriott on being elected chairman of the board. Not only does he have tremendous operational experience from his career at Marriott, but hospitality is in his DNA. I look forward to working alongside him for years to come.”