Marriott International Asia Pacific (APAC) announced that Simon F. Cooper, President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific, will retire at the end of the month and Craig S. Smith, currently President of Marriott International Caribbean & Latin America (CALA), succeeded Cooper.
“During an impressive and well-travelled career, Simon has been widely known as an influential leader in the hospitality industry. His leadership has been instrumental in the globalization of Marriott’s operations ushering in an exciting chapter of growth at our company,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International.
Cooper led the operating performance and growth of Asia Pacific. By the end of the year, Marriott International plans to surpass one million rooms worldwide. Within the next four years, the Company also expects to more-than-double its size in Asia.
“These past few years have been tremendous. Not only did our APAC presence grow at an impressive rate but it has been wonderful to see the positive effect Marriott has had on the region’s development. It was very meaningful to end my tenure with a visit to the Marriott Yao Foundation Hope School in the Sichuan Province of China. The school’s goal is complementary to ours: Opening doors to a world of opportunity. I have no doubt that Craig will continue Marriott’s success in the region while making sure that the company stays true to its core values,” said Cooper.
“I’m looking forward to returning to Asia. A lot has changed since I moved from APAC to CALA and I’m excited to return to the region while it is going through this incredible expansion. Asia Pacific is integral to Marriott International achieving its objective of becoming the world’s favorite travel company,” said Smith.
