THE LEGEND
THE JOY MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE . IT BRINGS CURIOSITY . IT BRINGS STAMINA … ONE OF THE GREAT GIFTS OF BOTH THE INDUSTRY THAT WE WORK IN , BUT MARRIOTT AS A COMPANY AND THE JOB I HAVE , IS I JUST LOVE IT ALL . I ’ M CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD , SO THE TRAVEL IS NOT A WEARYING THING . IT IS AN ENERGIZING THING .
ARNE SORENSON
within a company and connectivity with each other and this sense that we want to build careers here and build opportunity for each other — that ’ s still a very vibrant thing , and I ’ m really grateful it ’ s still here .”
GUT INSTINCT As a lawyer in Washington , D . C ., Sorenson began representing Marriott in 1992 . By 1996 , Bill Marriott had asked him to join the company , but Sorenson agreed to do so only in a non-legal capacity . He ran mergers and acquisitions and in 1998 became chief financial officer , a job Sorenson says he wasn ’ t qualified for but did with the backing of his predecessor .
“ I think [ Bill Marriott ] was relying on his gut instincts about my leadership capacity and curiosity ,” Sorenson says , adding that his experience has served as a broader lesson for the organization about giving people a chance to prove themselves .
“ We talk often about inclusiveness at Marriott , and obviously we have a very strong group of women leaders , and I ’ ll get asked often about how do you end up with that . I think to some extent , it ’ s buried in that lesson .”
Marriott himself reflects on meeting Sorenson for first time more than 25 years ago : “ What struck me then and what continues to impress me about him is how humble he is while being one of the smartest people I ’ ve ever worked with ,” he says . “ He is a very good listener , which is critical to being a leader . He is also constantly thinking about the people at this company — how to grow them and continue to provide opportunities . He is a curious person who is passionate about his work and the world around him . Convincing him to join Marriott nearly 24 years ago was one of the best decisions I ’ ve made .”
Sorenson says he has been working for years on , among other things , those listening skills . “ It is probably with each passing year more important … A lot of the decisions that are made I don ’ t make myself ,” he says . “ You have to make sure that the team is making them because they ’ re better steeped in the facts and background . They ’ re going to be responsible for the outcomes of those decisions in a way that ’ s very direct . So they will learn better and be better successors to me or other leaders in the company .”
That approach doesn ’ t mean he ’ s getting less active or less engaged in the day-to-day . “ But I do think that recognition of the importance of team and the importance of delegation and the importance of empowerment is something that I was pretty pitiful at when I started working , and I think I ’ ve gotten better with each passing year . I ’ m certainly not necessarily where I want to be in that regard every single day . But I think it is a lesson that has been a very steady one to me .”
18 hotelsmag . com April 2020