Former Marine and Arlo Hotel manager says career growth goes hand-in-hand with mentoring women

The general manager of the Arlo Hotel in Chicago has lived many lives and had many careers, but she said her own growth goes hand-in-hand with mentoring other women.

Kierra Moore said becoming the manager of one of Chicago's luxury hotels, in one of the city's best locations, meant changing how she thinks.

"When you see GMS who are always males, it becomes your norm until you say, 'I can do that too,'" she said.

Moore has gone through several changes before landing the top job at the Arlo Hotel, a 218 room luxury hotel, in 2025.

She is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, which she said gave her a sense of belonging and a lot of pride. Then, while studying for a career in nursing, she got a night job at a hotel.

"I enjoyed interacting and I saw women, guys in roles I never thought I could do," she said.

Moore still remembers the moment she decided she wanted a hospitality career, when she spotted her boss one day.

"I saw her. She walked past in her heels, and I thought she was a person I wanted to be and that's what started it," Moore said.

But she's not finished yet. She plans to keep growing her career while mentoring other women like herself.

"You find someone who's interested and you figure out their path," she said.

And she said achieving a career like hers starts on the inside.

"Don't stop when everyone thinks you can't keep going," she said. "Keep going. Don't be afraid to move forward."

Moore is married with five children, proof, she said, that you can be successful and still be there for your family."