Thank you, Arne

So many people around the world lost a person very dear to us, our friend Arne Sorenson. He was the first person to lead the Marriott family who didn't bear that last name. Yet, Arne's name is - and will always be - synonymous with the modern Marriott he helped build. This past summer, I was honored for Arne to join me in a conversation at the annual L'Attitude conference, where he spoke passionately about what Marriott strives to provide each and every employee: “dignity in work, respect for each other and opportunities to grow." His name will also be synonymous with these values, as well as an inexhaustible spirit of empathy and service to others. 

There are few CEOs who earn such genuine personal affection that their customers and colleagues alike know to just call them by their first name. Arne certainly is one. Reading the heartfelt tributes pouring in from around the world, the most moving stories about Arne come not from the famous and powerful, but from so many employees who felt like they knew him personally, and believed they had a champion in Arne - because, they did.  

Arne was a dedicated triathlete and runner, a pursuit he stubbornly refused to give up and symbolized his courageous battle against cancer. I will always think of him when I read this quote from scripture, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

Arne put his whole heart and soul into the place and its people, leaving a remarkable legacy behind him that will live on, especially as we work together to recover from the setbacks of the past year. Over the coming days, in communities around the world, across languages and diverse cultures, wherever the Marriott family operates, the name Arne will be spoken with a sense of respect and gratitude to him and his family. Even though he is no longer with us, we continue to follow in his footsteps.