His son, David Marriott, will replace him in the role, which Bill had managed for almost 37 years

J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr. is stepping down as chairman of Marriott International after 37 years with his son David replacing him in the role. Bill Marriott also previously served as CEO before stepping down in 2012. He will shift to a new role of chairman emeritus.

David Marriott joined the company in 1999 and was elected as a director in 2021. The change will come into effect immediately after the company’s upcoming 2022 annual meeting.

The Marriott board also announced it had elected Bella Goren, the former chief financial officer of American Airlines as an independent director of the company, effective March 1, 2022.

“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 Tony Capuano, CEO of 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.”