The two leaders are succeeding John Murray, who is retiring from his position with Sonesta and his role as EVP of The RMR Group, effective March 31.
Pierce has been a member of Sonesta’s executive leadership team since 2021, where he has been instrumental in leading the significant expansion of Sonesta’s global franchising business. Prior to joining Sonesta, he held senior executive positions at The Passionality Group, Wyndham Hotel Group and Cendant Corporation.
Leer, a member of RMR’s management committee, has held senior finance and accounting leadership roles within the organization since 2013, including most recently serving as the president/CEO of AlerisLife Inc. since 2022. In this position, he guided AlerisLife through its post-pandemic recovery, achieving a 440% increase in senior living net operating income during his tenure.
Pierce and Leer made the following statement regarding today’s announcement:
“We are honored to lead Sonesta into its next phase of growth. Over the past several years, Sonesta has transformed its management business, franchise business, technology and commercial infrastructure under John’s leadership, creating a strong foundation for the future. 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. We look forward to working closely with our talented leadership team and roughly 7,000 employees to achieve these goals.”
Tags: Jeff Leer, RMR Group John Murray, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation Keith Pierce
