Marriott International has appointed Craig S. Smith as the Group President for all non-North American operations. In his new role, Craig Smith will oversee the operations in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Caribbean and Latin America regions.
Craig Smith is the son of an American diplomat and has lived in 13 countries. He completed his Bachelor of Science from Bringham Young University and graduated with an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Portuguese.
He started his career leading teams in the rooms department of a hotel and climbed his way up the corporate ladder. With nearly three decades of experience, Craig knows the hospitality business from ground up and has earned industry-wide recognition.
Prior to the promotion, Craig held the position of President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific for Marriot International. For more than four years overseeing the Asia Pacific region, Craig was responsible for the strategic leadership of all operations and development functions spanning 25 countries and 23 brands. He oversaw more than 670 hotels and 135-thousand employees.
Craig Smith also served two-and-a-half years as President of Marriot’s Caribbean and Latin American region. Before that, he held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Asia Pacific.
Having been a part of Marriot International for over seven years, Craig’s knowledge of the brand and expertise in the industry makes him ideal for the new role as Group President for all non-North American operations.
Marriott being one of the oldest and most exclusive hotels brands globally. With a portfolio of 30 brands and more than 7000 properties across 131 countries and territories, Marriott International is one of the leading hospitality brands in the world. The company has lived by the core value established by the founder of the hotel chain, JW Marriott, “take care of our guests and associates’’ for over 90 years now.
