Month: October 2026

Executive Search: General Manager/COO, Brantford Golf & Country Club

Date:

General Manager/Chief Operating Officer
Brantford Golf & Country Club
Brantford, Ontario

THE CLUB
Located alongside the Grand River in Brantford, Ontario, Brantford Golf & Country Club was founded in 1879 and is widely recognized as the fourth-oldest golf club in North America. The course has consistently ranked among Canada’s top golf courses and reflects the influence of Nicol and Stanley Thompson, together with subsequent improvements and investment.

The modern clubhouse, rebuilt in 2002, offers dining overlooking the fourth hole, the Grand River, and the surrounding conservation area. Its outdoor patio is a focal point of the summer dining experience. The Club also has a distinguished history of junior-golfer development and championship golf, with PGA and LPGA Tour members David Hearn and Alena Sharp having represented the Club.

The Club is considering the future use of its former curling space as part of a broader opportunity to expand year-round amenities, events, and engagement. The next General Manager / Chief Operating Officer (“GM/COO”) will help the Board and membership evaluate opportunities that strengthen member value while protecting the Club’s financial health and established golf experience.

POSITION SUMMARY
The GM/COO is the leader of the Club’s management team and is responsible for the overall performance of Brantford Golf & Country Club. Reporting to the Board of Directors through the President, the GM/COO translates the Board’s strategic direction into clear priorities, measurable goals, disciplined operations, and a consistently high-quality member and guest experience.

The GM/COO leads through the Club’s department heads, setting high standards, clarifying accountability, developing talent, and empowering managers to make effective decisions. The GM/COO will be a visible and approachable leader who builds positive relationships, communicates clearly across varied audiences, and fosters collaboration across departments.

A central priority will be to elevate the broader Club experience, particularly food and beverage, while protecting the Club’s strengths in golf operations and course conditions. The GM/COO will strengthen service quality and consistency, build a positive workplace culture, and ensure that the Club’s operations reflect the standards expected of a leading private club.

The GM/COO will also provide sound financial stewardship and guide long-term planning related to facilities, capital priorities, year-round engagement, member value, and the future use of the former curling space.

 

 

View Full Position Description & Requirements

Apply for the Position

SEARCH EXECUTIVE TEAM

 

Michael Gregory
Managing Director & Partner
michael.gregory@ggapartners.com

 

 

 

Peter Holt
Director
peter.holt@ggapartners.com

 

2026 Club Board Perspectives

Date:

Club Board Perspectives

Insights from Club Boards:
Long-Term Success Through People and Culture, Financial Health, and a Future Focus

Private club boards are, by their own accounts, doing well: confident in their governance, financial stewardship and strategic direction. This year’s research tested that confidence against the practices, data, and documentation that would support it and found that belief and the actions to support it don’t always move together.

The 2026 Club Board Perspectives research, conducted in collaboration with the National Club Association (NCA), surveyed private club board members across North America on employer-of-choice standing, financial stewardship, and strategic focus. Rather than reporting averages alone, this year’s findings are built around a diagnostic framework: each finding names a potential governance gap, identifies its structural cause, and pairs it with a specific fix a board can act on.

In these reports, GGA Partners examines a pattern that recurs across all three research areas: board confidence consistently outpaces the evidence supporting it. On employer of choice, 66% of boards consider their club an employer of choice, yet fewer than four in ten report a market-referenced compensation philosophy, and the governance behavior most closely tied to that status rates only moderately. On financial health, 73% of boards believe their financial model is long-term focused, but nearly a third have no current capital reserve study behind that claim. On strategic focus, 73% of boards score as operationally anchored, with committee structures that surface updates rather than recommendations, which is most closely tied to that drift.

Together, these findings point to a governance opportunity: closing the distance between what boards believe and the actions that support those beliefs. Each article that follows explores this gap and attaches concrete questions and action steps a board can act on.

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
WHY BELIEF ISN’T INFRASTRUCTURE

Two-thirds of board members consider their club an employer of choice. This year’s research separates the boards that claim the label from those that have built the governance behind it and provides boards with a series of questions to determine where they stand and what steps to take next.

Read More

 

PROTECTING FINANCIAL HEALTH
FALSE CONFIDENCE OR LONG-TERM FOCUS

Boards express strong confidence in their clubs’ long-term financial practices. This research examines a deeper question: whether that confidence can be substantiated. The findings show where the proof is missing and provide boards with a pathway to get on the right financial track.

Read More

 

STRATEGIC FOCUS
SMALL DECISIONS DETERMINE LONG-TERM SUCCESS

In the 2026 Perspectives report, Boards say they are building a long-term brand by focusing on the future. However, the data reveals that daily habits are quietly pulling in the opposite direction, with operational meetings, reactive decisions, and informal recruiting limiting this goal.

Read More

 

 

Learn More About This Research
Download the Full Research Report

The Authors

Michael Gregory
Managing Director & Partner

Neil Brown
Executive Director

Dr. Eric Brey
Director

Evan Van Eerd
Director

 

Matthew Clarfield
Director

 

null

Subscribe to Our Latest Perspectives

"*" indicates required fields

    • Name*
    • What would you like to receive?
    • Consent*

    • Executive Search: Executive Chef, Delray Dunes Golf & Country Club

    Date:

    Executive Chef
    Delray Dunes Golf & Country Club
    Boynton Beach, Florida

    CLUB OVERVIEW

    Founded in 1969, Delray Dunes Golf & Country Club (“Delray Dunes” or the “Club”) is a private golf and country club community in Boynton Beach, Florida. The Club is known for its strong sense of community, multigenerational membership, and commitment to providing a high-quality golf, dining, social, and recreational experience.

    Delray Dunes is anchored by Pete Dye’s first golf course in Florida, an 18-hole design that has been central to the Club since its founding. The golf experience is complemented by tennis, fitness, dining, social, family, and event offerings, all located minutes from downtown Delray Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

    Today, Delray Dunes remains defined by its close-knit community, longstanding friendships, and service-focused culture. The Club is seeking an Executive Chef to build on this foundation through culinary excellence, strong team leadership, disciplined operations, and an active presence with the membership.

    POSITION SUMMARY
    The Executive Chef is the Club’s culinary leader and is responsible for the vision, operation, financial performance, quality, and consistency of all culinary outlets and food-production areas. This role provides strategic and direct leadership across à la carte dining, private functions, Club events, catering, employee dining, and other food-service operations.

    The Executive Chef will develop and execute a distinctive culinary program that reflects Delray Dunes’ identity and enhances the member experience. A key priority will be providing fresh, seasonal, locally inspired, and consistently prepared menu offerings, including thoughtful healthy and organic options, across several distinct menus that change weekly or monthly.

    The successful candidate will be an experienced Executive Chef who combines culinary creativity with disciplined execution, maintaining or enhancing quality while effectively managing food, labor, supply, and other operating costs. This individual will also be an accomplished team builder who develops culinary talent, establishes accountability, fosters continuous learning, and is comfortable maintaining a visible and engaging presence with members.

     

    View Full Position Description & Requirements

    Apply for the Position

    SEARCH EXECUTIVE TEAM

     

    Michael Gregory
    Managing Director & Partner 
    michael.gregory@ggapartners.com

     

     

     

    Michael Leemhuis
    Partner
    michael.leemhuis@ggapartners.com

     

     

    Executive Search: General Manager/COO, Whitevale Golf Club

    Date:

    General Manager/Chief Operating Officer
    Whitevale Golf Club
    Pickering Ontario

    CLUB OVERVIEW

    Whitevale Golf Club (“the Club”), located in Pickering, Ontario, is a member-owned private equity club and a proud history dating to 1958. One of the few equity membership clubs in Ontario, Whitevale is a highly golf-centric club distinguished by its competitive membership, active playing culture, and high volume of annual rounds.

    At the heart of the Club is its 18-hole golf course, extensively renovated by renowned Canadian golf course architect Thomas McBroom. The Club also features a comprehensive McBroom-designed practice facility that includes a 350-yard driving range, dedicated short-game and bunker areas, and multiple putting greens. Together, these facilities support regular member play, competitive events, player development, and an engaging golf experience for golfers of varying skill levels.

    This is a visible leadership role within a tight-knit and highly engaged golf member community. The opportunity is attractive for a leader who values a hands-on, member-facing environment, while the challenge lies in consistently delivering excellence within a seasonal operating model and supporting the Club’s continued excellence, thoughtful renewal, and long-term stewardship.

    POSITION SUMMARY

    The General Manager/Chief Operating Officer (“GM/COO”) is responsible for the overall leadership, management, and execution of Whitevale Golf Club’s strategic and operational priorities. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the GM/COO oversees all aspects of Club operations and ensures delivery of a consistent, high-quality member experience.

    This role requires a highly visible, engaged, and approachable leader who builds trust through regular interaction with members, staff, and the Board. Financial management and oversight to implement strategic initiatives set by the board are essential. The Club places particular emphasis on hospitality and service excellence, interpersonal leadership, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead through change. The GM/COO must communicate transparently, manage competing expectations, and navigate complex situations with consistency, empathy, and professionalism.

    The GM/COO leads the senior team, establishes clear performance expectations, and strengthens coordination and accountability across all areas of the Club. In partnership with the Board, the GM/COO will clarify and advance Whitevale’s strategic direction, align service expectations with available resources, oversee thoughtful facility and capital renewal, and support operational excellence and long-term financial sustainability.

    View Full Position Description & Requirements

    Apply for the Position

    SEARCH EXECUTIVE TEAM

     

    Michael Gregory
    Managing Director & Partner 
    michael.gregory@ggapartners.com

     

     

     

    Peter Holt
    Director
    peter.holt@ggapartners.com

     

     

    GGA Partners Appoints Marc Newey as Director, Executive Search & Leadership Advisory, EMEA

    Date:

    September 30, 2026

    Dublin, Ireland – GGA Partners has appointed Marc Newey, CCM, CCE as Director, Executive Search & Leadership Advisory within its EMEA practice, further strengthening one of the firm’s core consulting disciplines: helping clubs, resorts, and leisure businesses identify, recruit, develop, and retain exceptional leaders.

    Marc will lead executive search assignments, leadership advisory engagements, and executive coaching initiatives across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Working closely with boards, owners, and senior executives, he will support clients in building leadership teams capable of delivering long-term strategic success.

    A hugely respected figure in the club management profession, Marc has served as President of the Club Management Association of Europe (CMAE) and became the first executive in Europe and the Middle East to earn the Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation through the Club Management Association of America. He has led resorts and clubs through growth, change, and long-term strategic development, with particular experience in building high-performing teams, aligning boards and executives, and strengthening leadership capability.

    Rob Hill, Partner & Managing Director, EMEA, GGA Partners, added:
    “Marc’s appointment is an exciting step forward for our EMEA practice and our Executive Search & Leadership Advisory business. Having worked closely with Marc and the Board at Roehampton Club for more than ten years, we have seen the impact of his leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to align stakeholders around a shared vision. As demand continues to grow for executive search, leadership development, succession planning, and executive coaching across our region, Marc’s experience and reputation will further strengthen our ability to help organisations identify, develop, and retain exceptional leaders.”

    Commenting on his appointment, Marc Newey said:
    “”After many years leading clubs and working alongside outstanding boards and management teams, I’m excited to begin a new chapter with GGA Partners. Leadership can have an extraordinary impact on an organisation’s culture, performance, and long-term success, and I look forward to helping clients identify and develop the talented people who will lead their clubs and businesses into the future.”

    GGA Partners™ has offices in Toronto, Canada; Phoenix and West Palm Beach, USA; and Dublin, Ireland. For further information about GGA Partners™ visit: www.ggapartners.com

    -30 –

    GGA Partners™ contact:
    Rob Hill
    Managing Director & Partner
    t: +353-86-681-2744
    e: rob.hill@ggapartners.com

    Notes to Editors:

    About GGA Partners™
    GGA Partners provides strategic consulting, executive search, leadership advisory, operations consulting, and transaction support services to leading golf courses, private clubs, resorts, hospitality businesses, and residential communities worldwide.

    Established in 1992 as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice, our global team of experienced professionals leverage in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success.

    Menu