Sonesta International Hotels Corp. is kicking off the new year with news of its incoming leadership following the announcement of CEO John Murray’s retirement.

Keith Pierce, executive vice president and president of franchise and development at Sonesta, and Jeff Leer, executive vice president at The RMR Group, will share the top leadership position at the company as co-CEOs. The appointments take effect on April 1.

Murray’s retirement from both his role at Sonesta and as executive vice president of The RMR Group, a real estate investment firm with majority ownership of Sonesta, is effective March 31. Murray was appointed CEO in 2022 and has been at RMR Group since 1993.

In a joint statement, Pierce and Leer credit Murray’s leadership for creating a strong foundation at Sonesta, which owns, manages and franchises 1,000 properties with approximately 100,000 guest rooms across 13 brands in 10 countries.

“Building on this progress, we are committed to advancing Sonesta’s ‘asset-right,’ franchise-focused growth strategy, leveraging innovative technology, and driving operational excellence to expand market share and deliver an exceptional guest experience across all segments,” the co-CEOs said.

Pierce has served on Sonesta’s executive leadership team since 2021, contributing to Sonesta’s expansion of its global franchising business. He previously served in senior executive positions at The Passionality Group, Wyndham Hotel Group and Cendant Corp.

Leer, who has held senior finance and accounting roles at RMR since 2013, most recently served as president and CEO of AlerisLife Inc., a nursing care facilities company also owned by RMR, since 2022.

Sonesta made another C-suite change in October, appointing Phil Hugh as its new chief development officer. He replaced Brian Quinn, who had served in the role since March 2021.

SOURCE: CoStar