Marriott International CEO Anthony Capuano says the hotel chain’s funding for the World Economic Forum is not an endorsement of the Swiss lobbyist group’s progressive politics.
Mr. Capuano made the statement during a pre-screened question-and-answer session at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, which was held virtually on Tuesday.
“Marriott supports a variety of organizations that provide forums for our executives to meet with business partners, policymakers and other important stakeholders,” the CEO said in response to a query about the Davos-based forum.
“Participation in those business groups does not represent an endorsement of their positions,” he added.
Mr. Capuano was responding to a question from conservative shareholder-activist Ethan Peck, an associate of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project. The project purchases stock in companies to purge America’s boardrooms of woke political bias.
Mr. Peck had asked the CEO to explain its undisclosed financial support for a lobbying group that “openly advocates for transhumanism, abolishing private property, eating bugs, social credit systems, and a host of other blatantly Orwellian objectives.”
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• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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