More Than a Leader. He was Arne.

I cannot explain what has happened. I can only try to express what I feel. Perhaps that is all that matters. We lost a devoted and loving son, husband, father, brother, and friend to all who were blessed to know him. We lost a vital and restorative part of our lives.

Arne, our beloved leader, died but not before expending every last energy to push back the ravages of the insidious disease that claimed his life. Although his body was broken, never once was the disease able to break his generous spirit. My last conversation with Arne occurred when he called me early in the morning mere days before his sudden death. His main concern remained constant. “How’s everyone doing? How’s the team? Is there anything that you are worried about?” Frankly, I had heard those same questions countless times ever since I was blessed to become a member of his team nearly a decade ago.

In May 2019, Arne asked me to meet him in his office. Our standard greeting for each other was a hearty “hey there!” followed by an even heartier “hey there!” from the other. It had become so standard that we would begin grinning before the first sound was uttered. I’ll admit fumbling my response more than once as I fought back an involuntary chuckle. But on this day, that momentary respite from the pressures associated with responsibility for the livelihoods and wellbeing of so many was jarred when Arne calmly said, “I have pancreatic cancer.” I refused to believe it, but when he insisted, I teared up and so did he.

Arne knew that as a cancer survivor I knew better than most that the enemy was formidable and my momentary loss of emotional control confirmed what he already knew. While I confess my emotion was self-centered – I could not imagine a world without him – I am just as sure that his emotion came from a different place. This was a battle he was determined to win because he would never want to cause sorrow or harm to anyone. In that moment, I am sure at the center of his thoughts was his family. But Arne was also on a personal crusade to do whatever he could to bring about a better world. He loved his job because of how it enabled him to serve others. He had been doing that ever since becoming CEO at Marriott in 2012.

Yes, he was a hero to me but not because of his obvious and prodigious intellect, talents and energy. We admired and stood in awe of what he could accomplish. He was a fearless learner. The more daunting the subject, the more voracious was his search for perspective and understanding. No matter what obstacle lay ahead, we had Arne on our side and therefore we were fearless and insatiable in our pursuit of achievement.

But what truly made Arne the type of hero that the world craves and needs now more than ever was the humility, vulnerability and genuine love for others that matched his God-given talents. He could be fearless because he never put up pretense of being all-knowing and infallible. In that freedom of spirit drawn from humility and openness he was able to pursue truth and fairness. Whether you were an associate, customer, or hotel owner or franchisee, you could rely on his wise, caring and balanced leadership. His only interest was the search for solutions that would benefit the wellbeing of others. He was a hero because of his conviction that by improving the lives of his employees and bringing the joy, self-discovery and community of travel to his customers, we could all contribute to a better world.

At Marriott, we are grateful for all that Arne brought to our lives and we are more determined than ever to pursue his mission to bridge cultures and inspire discovery around the world. We will do it because we must claim a better world for ourselves and our families and friends. We will do it for Arne.