Smith replaces Cooper as Marriott boss in Asia Pacific

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Marriott International Asia Pacific president and managing director Simon Cooper will retire at the end of the month and will be replaced by Craig S. Smith, currently president of Marriott International Caribbean & Latin America.

By the end of the year, Marriott International plans to surpass one million rooms worldwide.

Within the next four years, the company also expects to more-than-double its size in Asia.

In the region, Marriott International is represented by nine lodging brands, including BVLGARI, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance and Autograph.

Smith has previously worked in Hong Kong serving as chief operations officer for Marriott International?s APAC region.

At that time he was responsible for 150 hotels, which generated in excess of US$3.5 billion in revenue.

Under his leadership, market share improved by over 15 percent in just three years.

He has also served as area vice president for South East Asia and Hong Kong/Macau, and was area vice president for India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia.