Meet new Regional Manager Paul Whittaker

17 April 2025

Having set his sights on becoming Regional Manager back in 2017, Paul Whittaker has now achieved his goal.

Paul Whittaker is relishing the opportunity of being Regional Manager for the Northern Region, having long had designs on the role.

After joining the GCMA eight years ago, he had ambitions to become a Regional Manager from the start.

Here, former teacher and lecturer Paul discusses his plans in the role and why it appealed to him.

What does it mean to you to be appointed Regional Manager?

Since joining the GCMA as a Golf Club Manager in 2017, I always felt that this would be a role I would aspire to when I retired/slowed down and had some time. When hearing that the current Regional Manager Peter Jobe was retiring from the role, I felt the time was right to step up to the plate and try to make a difference in the region.

Can you tell us a little more about your career background?

Formally a teacher and lecturer at Gateshead College (Lead in Sport and Exercise Science), I took voluntary redundancy and took a role with England Golf as a County Development Officer for Northumberland. I felt at the time that I was seeing a future role as a Golf Club Manager and ended up taking the job offered to me at Tynemouth Golf Club, from which I “retired” in April 2024. I currently work with Alnmouth Foxton Golf Club as a three-day-a-week contractor to support the Manager at the club.

What can GCMA members expect from you in the role of Regional Manager?

I pride myself on communication. I intend to contact all managers in the region on a regular basis and inform them what the region is doing and what the GCMA is doing nationally. I hope to grow the membership, ultimately, and make the GCMA membership a valued and respected product. In simple terms “Recruitment and Retention” is my priority.

What are you most looking forward to?

Making a difference to the Golf Club Managers’ lot so that they feel there is always support/help and someone to talk to.

How would you summarise the importance of the GCMA?

For me it has been invaluable. It’s always great to meet other managers who have the same issues and difficulties. It is a great source of education and networking. The contacts I have made through the GCMA Regional Meetings have been extremely valuable to have. I believe that the National education programmes and resourCes are fantastic and if I were still a manager I would be constantly updating my knowledge.

Tell us something that your fellow GCMA members don’t know about you…

I played County Cricket for Norfolk for seven years as an opening bowler.

By GCMA Content Team

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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.

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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.