Sonesta International Hotels announced that two executives will succeed CEO John Murray, effective April 1.
Keith Pierce, who currently serves as executive vice president and president of franchise and development at Sonesta, and Jeff Leer, executive vice president of Sonesta operator The RMR Group, will replace Murray as co-CEOs. Murray is retiring from his Sonesta post as well as his position as executive vice president of The RMR Group, effective March 31.
Both Pierce and Leer bring years of senior leadership experience to the new shared role. Pierce has worked on Sonesta’s executive team since 2021 and previously held leadership positions at The Passionality Group and Wyndham Hotel Group, according to his LinkedIn. Meanwhile, Leer has held senior finance and accounting leadership roles at The RMR Group since 2013, most recently serving as president and CEO of AlerisLife Inc., per a release.
“We are honored to lead Sonesta into its next phase of growth,” the pair said in a joint statement, adding that they are focused on “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.”
Sonesta owns, manages and franchises more than 1,000 properties, per the release. The company recently debuted a new extended stay concept, Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta.
The CEO transition comes after Sonesta appointed Phil Hugh as chief development officer in October.
