Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced the appointment of Raj Menon as Chief Operations Officer, Southeast Asia and Pacific, effective March 1, 2015.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced the appointment of Raj Menon as Chief Operations Officer, Southeast Asia and Pacific, effective March 1, 2015.

In his new role, Mr. Menon will be a key member of the Southeast Asia and Pacific senior leadership team, and function as the operational business leader for the region. He will help drive Marriott International’s key initiatives and ensure implementation of brand and discipline programs.

For the past seven years, Mr. Menon has been Marriott International’s Area Vice President for South Asia, during which time he also had responsibility for Pakistan, Malaysia and Australia. Under his leadership, Marriott International has not only expanded significantly, but has also been recognized as one of the best performing international hotel brands in India, and has received numerous best employer awards.

Simon Cooper, President and Managing Director Asia Pacific - Marriott International said, “Raj Menon is the perfect person for this role. He is an admired business leader and trusted colleague, both at Marriott and in the hospitality sector. His extensive management experience, industry knowledge, and contribution to our business have been instrumental as we have innovated and grown. We needed someone who knew Asia Pacific inside-out to continue our regional expansion plans. Raj’s superb track record in India, where he led our growth from six hotels in 2007 to 27 Marriott managed hotels operating under seven brands today, speaks for itself.”

Raj Menonfirst joined Marriott in 2001 as the General Manager of Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Center and Marriott Executive Apartments, Mumbai. His other experience includes time in Sydney, Australia where he served as the General Manager of Sydney Harbour Marriott and Country General Manager for Australia.

Marriott International expects to more than double its size in Asia through 2019, from over 170 hotels currently to more than 340 hotels across 18 countries.