Marriott's Simon F. Cooper to retire this month

Simon F. Cooper, president and manager director of Asia Pacific for Marriott International will retire at the end of the month. The role will be filled by Craig S. Smith, who is currently president of Marriott International Caribbean & Latin America.

Commenting on Cooper’s departure, Marriott International president and CEO Arne Sorenson said: “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.”

Cooper led the group’s performance and growth in Asia Pacific. Within the next four years, the group expects to more than double its size in Asia with its nine brands, including BVLGARI, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, Autograph, Courtyard, Fairfield and Marriott Executive Apartments.

Commenting on his retirement, Cooper said: “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.”

In his role as president of the Caribbean & Latin America region, Smith was responsible for more than 90 hotels in 25 countries.

Smith and his team positioned the region for growth that is projected to include adding 14,000 jobs and over 70 additional properties across 10 lodging brands in 26 countries and territories by 2017.

He previously worked in Hong Kong, serving as chief operations officer for Marriott International’s APAC region, and was responsible for 150 hotels, which generated in excess of US $3.5 billion in revenue.

Commenting on his new role, Smith said: “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.”