The American Hotel & Lodging Association, The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation and The BHN Group have named David Kong, the recently retired president and CEO of BWH Hotel Group, as the inaugural recipient of the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award. Kong will be recognized during the AHLA Foundation’s fundraising gala, the Night of a Thousand Stars on Jan. 23, 2022, as well as during the 21st Annual Americas Lodging Investment Summit on Jan. 25, 2022.
The Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award is a new award named for the late Arne Sorenson, the former president and CEO of Marriott International who died in February. The award will be presented annually to a senior-level executive in the lodging industry who strives to drive change through strong leadership and community engagement. Nominations are reviewed by the AHLA’s executive committee and representatives from ALIS.
Related: ALIS launches award for Arne Sorenson
“Like Arne, David is an industry icon—an amazing leader and among the most respected people in our industry,” said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. “The story of David’s career trajectory, from dishwasher to CEO, is inspiring to us all—as is his commitment to the next generation of hotel leaders and the communities we serve. It has been a joy to work with David, and I can think of no better way to honor him at the conclusion of his illustrious career than with this award.”
“The humanity-meets-business crossroads that Arne and David built their leadership styles around are more important than ever, so it’s an honor to acknowledge Arne’s legacy by having David as the inaugural recipient of this award,” said Jeff Higley, president of The BHN Group. “The impact of embracing a people-centric approach by prominently addressing key social issues serves as an agent of change far beyond the boundaries of the hotel industry. We should all be proud of the impact that Arne and David have contributed by being kind, thoughtful and forward-looking leaders.”
Kong stepped down from BWH Hotel Group at the beginning of December, with Larry Cuculic, previously SVP and general counsel, stepping up as president and CEO.
Related: David Kong looks back at Best Western's 'inflection points'
During his years at Best Western, Kong oversaw the brand’s divestment of 700 hotels from 2005 to 2008, the expansion from one brand into 18, the implementation of the AutoClerk property-management system in 2019, and the company’s growth through the COVID-19 pandemic.