Bethesda, Md., USA - December 8, 2015, Bethesda, Md., USA - Marriott International, Inc. announced that Carl Berquist, EVP and CFO for the past seven years, will retire as CFO on December 31, 2015.
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Mr. Berquist will remain with the company as a special adviser through March 2016. Mr. Berquist's leadership has been instrumental in the company's significant global growth, culminating with Marriott's announced plans in November to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in a merger transaction.
After a 28-year career at Arthur Andersen LLP, where he led the firm's accounting work on behalf of Marriott, in 2002 Mr. Berquist joined Marriott as executive vice president and chief accounting officer. Quickly moving into the role of executive vice president, financial information and risk management, Mr. Berquist was appointed CFO in 2009.
During his tenure as CFO, Marriott acquired Gaylord Hotels, Protea Hotels and Delta Hotels and Resorts. Mr. Berquist also led the spin-off of Marriott's timeshare business in 2011, as well as a transaction with Accenture Hospitality Services involving back-office functions in 2013.
As a partner at Arthur Andersen, Mr. Berquist held numerous leadership positions, covering the management of the business as well as market facing operational roles, including managing partner of the worldwide real estate and hospitality practice.
A member of the Board of Directors of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., Mr. Berquist is a graduate of Penn State University, where he serves as a member of its Smeal College of Business' Board of Visitors, as well as the School of Hospitality Management Board of Advisors.
Leeny Kelly Oberg, a 16-year Marriott veteran, and currently chief financial officer for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott, will become Marriott's chief financial officer on January 1, 2016, succeeding Mr. Berquist.
Beginning her new role as Marriott chief financial officer on January 1, Ms. Oberg assumed her current position at Ritz-Carlton in 2013, where she contributed significantly to the brand's performance, growth and organizational effectiveness.
Previously, Ms. Oberg served in a range of financial leadership positions with Marriott. From 2008 to 2013, she was the company's senior vice president, corporate and development finance. Ms. Oberg was a key member of the team that executed the spin-off of Marriott's timeshare business in 2011.
From 2006 to 2008, Ms. Oberg served in London as senior vice president, international project finance and asset management for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and also as the region's senior finance executive. She first joined Marriott as part of its investor relations group in 1999.
Prior to joining Marriott, Ms. Oberg held a variety of financial leadership positions with such organizations as Sodexo (previously Sodexo Marriott Services), Sallie Mae, Goldman Sachs and Chase Manhattan Bank. ■