About Gary Tharaldson

Today, students in the Gary Tharaldson School of Business continue to welcome the school’s namesake to campus for lectures where Gary enjoys engaging and interacting with faculty and students — whose career dreams span all spectrums of business and management. Students learn first-hand from Gary and now also from Open Secrets of Success: The Gary Tharaldson Story.

His work in the hospitality industry didn’t go unnoticed by his peers; in fact, they describe Gary as “a man of great character.” He has earned many awards in business and softball, met U.S. military generals, and was featured in a cover story in Forbes Magazine. Perhaps the true indicator that the Gary Tharaldson Express was on the right track and moving full speed ahead was when he drew the attention of Bill Marriott, the owner of Marriott Hotels. Gary was the first franchisee to build Marriott’s Fairfield Inns that would become the industry standard for his innovative ideas, concepts, and efficiencies, – something that helped expand the brand of the hospitality giant.

Bruce White, founder, chairman, and CEO of White Lodging, called Gary a “genius.” Gary is too humble to agree to this label, but as shown in Open Secrets of Success, he has certainly exhibited genius in the hospitality industry. In the book, Gary relates his most important secret: “There are not many people with the passion and the ability to do things. I don’t want to say I’m different: I know I’m different. It’s all about passion.”

As retired Tharaldson executive Doug Dobmeier said, “Gary was a risk-taker, but a very calculated risk-taker who always had faith that he was going to get things done right."

Gary Tharaldson in the News