Marriott CEO to step back from role during cancer treatment
Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson is temporarily reducing his schedule in order to undergo more demanding treatment for cancer.
The world's largest hotel chain announced on Tuesday that Sorenson will step back in his role from full-time oversight of the company for "several months." During the period when Sorenson steps back, he will "stay involved in directing the company to the extent practical and remain a member of the board of directors."
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"Since my diagnosis, I’ve been working with a great medical team at Johns Hopkins to treat this cancer," Sorenson said in a statement. "While I have worked throughout my treatment to date and plan to remain as engaged in the business as my health allows, the right thing to do for me, my family and the company is to focus on my health."
Sorenson was first diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer in May 2019. At the time, Sorenson detailed that the cancer was discovered early and hadn't spread.
"I, along with my family and my medical team, remain optimistic about my prognosis and I plan to return full-time after the conclusion of my treatments,” Sorenson said.
Sorenson has tapped two long-time Marriott executives to share the responsibilities of the day-to-day operations while he steps back. Group President of Consumer Operations, Technology and Emerging Businesses Stephanie Linnartz will oversee Marriott's international lodging division as well as legal, human resources and communications and public affairs. Group President of Global Development, Design and Operations Services Tony Capuano will oversee the company's U.S. and Canada lodging division and finance in Sorenson's absence.
Sorenson has been the CEO of Marriott since 2012 and is the only person outside of the Marriott family to lead the company. He oversaw the acquisition and merger of Starwood to create the combined Marriott, the world's largest hotel chain.
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| 10x | Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. |
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Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®80,000 bonus pointsAnnual Fee
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If you are looking to take your premium rewards to the highest level, this card is really a no brainer in our eyes. Chase's Ultimate Rewards make points easy to redeem, with a wide range of 10 airline and three hotel transfer partners and a friendly user interface. Despite the high annual fee, Chase is consistently adding new benefits to keep the card competitive in a fierce premium rewards field.Pros
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- Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards hotel and airline travel partners
- Unlimited 3x points on the broad category of travel and dining
- 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Broad definitions for travel and dining bonus categories
Cons
- Steep $550 annual fee
- May not make sense for people that don't travel frequently
- You must spend the $300 travel credit before earning 3x points for travel and dining
- No automatic hotel elite status
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,200 toward travel
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more