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Aspire Career Development Series Autumn Events

14 August 2025

Aimed at supporting all those looking to grow within Golf Club Management, our Autumn Aspire events are open to all GCMA Members who wish to attend.

The first two in-person Aspire events will be taking place this November in the Chiltern and East Midlands Regions, open to all GCMA Members who wish to attend, whether you’re from that region or not.

Aimed at empowering those who are eager to grow and thrive within golf club management, the GCMA Aspire Career Development Series offers a unique opportunity for members to invest in their professional journey. The upcoming Autumn Aspire events are designed to provide a vital foundation for emerging professionals looking to build confidence, competence, and connections within the industry.

While the content is tailored to those starting out, the events are open to all GCMA Members, offering valuable insights and networking opportunities for anyone seeking to refresh their knowledge or support the next generation of leaders.

Upcoming Events

Chilterns & Home Counties

Date:  Tuesday 4th November

Venue:  Harewood Downs Golf Club

Times:  09:30 – 16:00

Cost: £20.00

Agenda:

Jerry Kilby (Kanda Golf)Career journey, the importance of education, lessons learned and what a career in golf can be.
Paul Keen (GM @ Verulam GC)Leading major projects on the Golf Course and in the Clubhouse at Verulam GC.
Gareth Morgan (GCMA)Mapping your Career Path
Panel DiscussionLessons from their careers and open Q&A.
BOOK NOW

East Midlands

Date:  Tuesday 25th November

Venue:  Chesterfield Golf Club

Times:  09:30 – 16:00

Cost: £20.00

Agenda:

David Holmes (GM @ Hollinwell GC)Career journey and lessons learned.
Sean Boyle (GM @ Chesterfield GC)The importance of effective Club Communication strategies and tactics.
Gareth Morgan (GCMA)Mapping your Career Path
Panel DiscussionLessons from their careers and open Q&A.
BOOK NOW

Upcoming Webinars

 
What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a General Manager

16th September

A panel of current General Managers sharing candid lessons, mistakes, and things they only learned through those mistakes.

How to Influence Upwards

27th October

Communicating with Boards and Club Committees: Mastering the art of influencing decision-makers and handling politics diplomatically

Diary of a General Manager & Planning for The Open

27th November

“The Diary of a GM & Planning for The Open:” (Richard Weeks: General Manager at Royal Birkdale)

Building Your General Manager CV

16th December

Skills, Experience and Positioning Yourself for Promotion “What hiring boards look for, how to fill the gaps, and how to prepare for interviews or internal opportunities.

GCMA Aspire is now included as part of Affiliate and Full Membership and offers targeted support for those looking to grow their careers in golf club management. From webinars and events to tailored coaching and access to GCMA education programmes, GCMA Aspire is built to help aspiring leaders take the next step.

This new series is part of our ongoing commitment to developing talent and professionalising the golf club management industry.

By Mark Shanley

Categories

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Allister Frost

A former Microsoft Digital Strategy leader who now inspires audiences to discover the life-enhancing benefits of having a Future Ready Mindset. As a tech pioneer, Allister gained unique insights into how to transform uncertainty into opportunity, and now loves giving others the positive mindset and simple habits needed to:

  • Stay resilient in the face of uncertainty and change
  • Spot quick win opportunities for improvement
  • And *create* a brilliant future!

 

With AI and robots coming for our jobs (hint from Allister: they won’t, if we know how…), many people are anxious about the future. But Allister asserts that we’ve nothing to fear when we leverage our human superpowers and ingenuity to thrive alongside emerging technologies. That’s why having a Future Ready Mindset is now a must-have skill to remain competitive and relevant to the people we serve, our golf club members and the local community. And the best bit: everyone can do it!

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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.

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Colin MacLachlan

Colin Maclachlan, star of Channel Four's captivating reality TV drama SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s ‘Secrets of the SAS’, is an operator with over 25 years of security and risk related experience who is a popular and frequent fixture on the speaking circuit.

Colin Maclachlan, celebrated for his roles on Channel Four's SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS, brings over three decades of expertise in security and risk management. Colin's military career began in 1989, and after serving nine years with the Royal Scots, he joined the elite 22 SAS at just 23. His time in the SAS saw him participating in numerous high-stakes operations, including the notable rescue of hostages from the West Side Boys in Sierra Leone—a mission so perilous it was dubbed Operation Certain Death.

Colin was also pivotal during the longest hostage siege on UK soil, when a hijacked Afghan plane landed in London in 2000. The standoff lasted four days with Colin as the first sniper on the scene.

After leaving the SAS, Colin exchanged insights with international forces such as Delta Force and Seal Team 6 and provided security consultancy to the Saudi Royal Family and various celebrities. His academic pursuits led him to earn a First Class MA (Hons.) in History from Edinburgh University and an M.Litt in Terrorism from St. Andrews University.

Today, Colin extends his expertise through television, books, radio, and video games. He supports numerous charities and has founded Who Dares Cares, which assists veterans and those experiencing stress. As a speaker, Colin excels in discussing Resilience, Teamwork and Leadership.

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