David Marriott (left) and Horacio Rozanski

David Marriott and Horacio Rozanski have been elected to join the hotel giant’s board of directors, bringing the total number of members to 13.

Marriott International, which was hit by the unexpected death of president and CEO Arne Sorenson earlier this year, is continuing to reshape its top team.

Marriott expands its board

In addition to being elected directors of the company, David Marriott, president, US full service managed by Marriott at Marriott International, and Horacio Rozanski, president and chief executive officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, will also be included among the nominees for election at its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. This news follows the May 2020 announcement that JW ‘Bill’ Marriott Jr will transition from executive chairman and chairman of the board to chairman emeritus in 2022.

David Marriott has joined the board of directors in anticipation of him assuming the role of chairman of the board in 2022. As such, he will step down from his current role at the end of April.

“We are pleased to welcome David and Horacio to the board of directors,” said chairman Bill Marriott. “They both bring decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge in key areas that will be a tremendous resource for the company as we focus on the recovery from the Covid19 pandemic.”

Marriott’s board of directors now has 13 members, of whom nine are independent. The others are Bill Marriott; Anthony G Capuano, Marriott’s new CEO; Deborah Marriott Harrison, global cultural ambassador emeritus at Marriott; Frederick A Henderson, former chairman and CEO, SunCoke Energy; Eric Hippeau, managing partner, Lerer Hippeau; Lawrence W Kellner, president, Emerald Creek and Marriott’s lead director; Debra L Lee, former chairman and CEO, BET Networks; Aylwin B Lewis, former chairman, president and CEO, Potbelly Corporation; Margaret M McCarthy, former executive vice president, CVS Health Corporation; George Muñoz, principal, Muñoz Investment Banking Group; and Susan C Schwab, professor emerita, University of Maryland and former US trade representative.

David Marriott’s journey

David Marriott first joined the company in 1999 after graduating from the University of Utah. Prior to becoming president, US full service managed by Marriott, he served as chief operations officer – the Americas eastern region from 2010 to 2018, during which time he also oversaw the US integration of Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Previous to this, he served as market vice president for hotel operations in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and senior vice president of global sales, helping lead a transformation of Marriott’s US sales organisation.

In his current role, he has been responsible for the oversight of over 330 hotels operating under 14 brands in 34 states as well as French Polynesia. In this position, he has overseen hotel operations, human resources, sales and marketing, finance, market strategy, information resources and development and feasibility.

He also currently serves as chair of the governing board of St Albans School in Washington DC and is a member of the board of trustees of The J Willard & Alice S Marriott Foundation.

“Like me, David grew up in the hospitality business,” said Bill Marriott. “While having Marriott as his last name opened the first door for him, he has proven throughout his 21 years with the company that he is a disciplined operator, a thoughtful collaborator with our owners and franchisees, and a passionate steward of our culture. The board will benefit from his experience and insights.”

Horacio Rozanski’s industry expertise

Born and raised in Argentina, Rozanski first moved to the US for college, earning a BBA from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Rozanski joined Booz Allen Hamilton in 1992 as a consultant to commercial clients, and was elected vice president in 1999, then served as chief personnel officer, chief strategy and talent officer, and president and chief operating officer before becoming CEO. As CEO, he has overseen the firm’s strategic transformation, playing a central role in the 2008 separation of its core government and commercial businesses into two companies, as well as the 2010 initial public offering and 2011 expansion.

Alongside being a member of the firm’s board of directors, Rozanski is also chair of the board of directors of Children’s National Medical Center and a member of the board of CARE.

“Horacio’s established track record in innovation, technology, talent management and international expansion makes him a terrific addition to our board,” said Capuano. “His perspective and experience will be invaluable to the company as we continue to grow our global footprint, advance our technology transformation and realise the opportunity in emerging businesses. We look forward to his guidance and counsel as an independent director of the company.”

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