One Person Can Change the World…
As part of Marriott’s enduring commitment to well-being through our TakeCare global wellness program, and as a founding partner with Publicis’ “Working with Cancer” initiative, I had the distinct privilege of leading a conversation that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
In partnership with Shannon Patterson, SVP Global Sales and Executive Sponsor of our Associate Resource Group for Caregivers, we welcomed an extraordinary force of nature: Kathy Giusti — founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and bestselling author of From Fatal to Fearless.
For those unfamiliar with Kathy’s journey, she is more than a business leader — she is a warrior, a visionary, and a survivor who has forever changed the landscape of cancer research and care. In 1995, Kathy was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable cancer. She was given 18 months to live.
But Kathy did not surrender to statistics. Instead, she rewrote them.
Not only has she overcome multiple myeloma, but she also triumphed over breast cancer — defying the odds not once, but twice. Through sheer will, strategic brilliance, and unyielding perseverance, Kathy built a groundbreaking model for accelerating cancer research — a model that has revolutionized the way the world approaches some of its deadliest diseases.
Her legacy is not just personal survival — it is global transformation.
Through her foundation, Kathy has raised over $500 million for research. She built a coalition of researchers, doctors, governments, pharmaceutical companies, and patients that has led to the development of 17 new treatments for multiple myeloma alone. And just last week, the New York Times featured a physician who shared how the mere mention of a “cure” for multiple myeloma, once unthinkable, is now part of the conversation — thanks in no small part to Kathy’s relentless efforts to bring focus and much needed attention to the disease.
As I listened to her speak, along with thousands of Marriott associates across the globe, I was struck not only by her achievements — but by her spirit. Kathy radiates joyful positivity, even as she carries the weight of urgency on her shoulders. She speaks with clarity, purpose, and a deeply human understanding of the pain, fear, and isolation that come with a cancer diagnosis — not just for patients, but for caregivers too.
When you hear the words “You have cancer,” everything stops. In that moment, time freezes, and an avalanche of questions, doubts, and fears takes hold. But Kathy has created a lifeline — a playbook of 12 essential steps for navigating the unimaginable. Her book is more than a guide — it is a roadmap of resilience, empowerment, and hope.
In Kathy, I can the see proof that one person truly can change the world. She cut a path through the darkest jungle of fear and uncertainty, so that others might walk it with a little more light, and a lot more hope. She did not just survive. She led. She lifted. She changed everything.
To the survivors, to the current patients amid the fight, to the caregivers and to Kathy - please know we are all in this together so one day cancer will be a line in history books.
~ Brian J King
President – Enterprise Transformation | Caribbean & Latin America