2016: A Change of Service, A Change of People – A Change of Opportunity

07 January 2016

Over the last year we have been working towards providing you with a greater level of service than before. These recent changes are the start of how the GCMA will aim to deliver greater value for money for both you and your employer – the golf club. Included in your recent membership renewal pack, you will have received an information leaflet regarding the Legal Expenses Insurance policy that we have arranged with Perkins Slade.

Whilst the policy is aimed at providing you with personal cover and legal helplines, it will also provide you with legal advice relating to disputes with employees of the golf club for which you are a manager. However, members should always check that the golf club insurance policy which you currently have in place provides cover in the event of employment disputes which may have certain requirements or pre-requisites for cover to apply. The advice of Perkins Slade is that you check whether such a policy is in place, and whether there are any conditions or pre-requisites that must be followed prior to following any advice given by the helpline.

With this policy now in place, we will gradually be relinquishing the services of our long-standing employment advisor Brian Butler. Brian has been involved with the GCMA for nearly 16 years and has provided an excellent service in that time. Not only have the membership been able to call upon his advice but he has also been part of the Introductory Training Courses – only missing one in that period. He has also been a regular contributor to the Golf Club Management (GCM) magazine with a number of his articles being archived in the online reference library.

Brian will continue with his employment and health & safety presentations on the Introductory Training Courses and be available for regional meetings around the country. He will also be available for independent advice for those who wish to contact him. On behalf of the Board and all at HQ we offer a sincere thanks to Brian and wish him well for the future.

Continuing with the education theme you will note from the advertising feature in this section that we are fast reaching the point where the ‘Diploma in Golf Club Management’ qualification is to be launched. As I am sure you will have read in previous issues of GCM, this qualification is being developed between the education departments of the GCMA, PGA and BIGGA. It will provide the only opportunity for both existing and aspiring managers to obtain a qualification in golf club management. Further announcements regarding course content, availability, costs, registration, etc, are imminent.

The Change of People is very prominent in this edition, with England Golf announcing the appointment of their new CEO Nick Pink and the PGA also advising that Rob Maxfield will work alongside Sandy Jones for a period before taking on the reins. It is extremely important for the good of the game that the major organisations work together on all fronts – I am certainly looking forward to working with both of them in the future.

Again linked with ‘a Change of People’, it is that time of the year when we approach the National AGM. This year it will be held at the extremely impressive Thorndon Park GC in Brentwood, Essex on Thursday, April 21. With David O’Sullivan from China Fleet GC in Cornwall poised to take over as National Captain from Clive Hadley, we will be introducing a new pairs golf competition for the Captains Cup. This impressive trophy has been donated by Clive Hadley and will be competed for in a stableford pairs competition with each pair representing their individual GCMA region. The entry form will be available from the website from the beginning of February.

In preparation for the AGM and in conjunction with Articles, there will be two directors standing down – Barry Hill and Phil Grice, both have indicated that they will be standing for re-election.

I wish you all well for the year ahead and look forward to meeting up with many of you at the forthcoming regional meetings.

By Bob Williams

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John Steele

John Steele is a former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader and is the Executive Director of Sport at Loughborough University. He has been Chief Executive across a range of sectors. Drawing on leadership experience of nine different Olympic and Paralympic Games (including the amazing events at the Rio Games), John reflects on the lessons from this unique period in British sport and relays his fascinating views on creating high performing teams.

Indeed, inspired from PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, by the most successful performance ever for Team GB, he has a whole host of new business and leadership insights into how this was brilliant performance was achieved and how it can translate back into your organisation.

John moved into the corporate world, before he enjoyed an outstanding career as a professional rugby player achieving international honours. After his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching and achieved the highest accolade for a British club coach by winning the European Cup with Northampton Saints. He then became Executive Director on the Saints Board during a period of unprecedented growth, and served on the England Rugby Board during the successful world cup campaign of 2003. It was no surprise that John’s talents were called upon to drive through a change and modernisation programme as CEO of the Rugby Football Union – a challenge that became controversial and ended in his departure from the post after only a year, but with his dignity and professional pride intact.

Headhunted by UK Sport, John took up post as CEO the day before London won the 2012 Olympic bid – and this promising start was sustained as he embarked on developing the UK’s high performance sport system, which he led for a six-year period of unprecedented success through the Beijing and London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Post-London 2012, with the Olympic legacy in place and an obligation to continue inspiring a generation, John took up his post as Group Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust. He has also succeeded Steve Cram as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, an organisation described as ‘the team behind the team’, which delivers a range of performance impacting solutions to over 40 Olympic and Paralympic sports and some non-Olympic sports.

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Dr Jo Salter MBE

Dr Jo Salter MBE is famed for becoming the first female fast jet pilot, having flown the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft during her services in the Royal Air Force. Joining the RAF aged 18, Jo has since taken Air Cadets into the skies as part of Air Experience Flights, become the Director of Global Transformative Leadership for PWC, and most recently become a Global Advisory of GenAI for PwC.

Jo has piloted flights in the Air Cadets Air Experience Flights and inspired countless budding armed service members to pioneer a male-dominated sector, having been the leader of an all-male squadron. Since leaving the military behind, Jo has established a strong business career working in roles such as Head of Technical Services for NetConnect, European Operations Manager for Automated Power Exchange and Managing Director of Saltin Ltd.

Having developed first-class expertise in leadership, analytical thinking and performing under pressure, Jo is now a highly sought-after public speaker to share stories from her time in the skies.

Jo is a passionate Trustee of The Royal Air Force Club and an Ambassador of the Global Angels charity, an organisation that gives communities around the world access to clean water, education, healthcare and encourages female and youth empowerment. Jo has also authored two books, titled Energy: 52 Ways to Fire Up Your Life and Become an Energy Angel and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind and Body to Get Your Bounce Back Today and Every Day.

In recognition of her achievements throughout her career, Jo has also been named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by Harpers & Queen. She is now working as the Director of Global Transformation Leadership at PWC, after working in other roles such as Director of Risk Technology Strategy, Director Chief of Staff to Head of Technology & Investments and the Director of People & Organisations.

In 2022, Jo was invited personally by Tom Cruise to attend the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. Most recently, Jo received an honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.