GGA Appoints Joe Oswald as Executive Director, Consulting & People Services

Seasoned professional, Joe Oswald, will expand the firm’s Consulting & People Services

Toronto, ON – GGA Partners, an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities, today announced the appointment of Joe Oswald as Executive Director, Consulting & People Services.

“We are excited to welcome Joe Oswald to GGA Partners’,” stated Managing Director and Partner Michael Gregory. “Joe is an incredibly knowledgeable and experienced executive in the golf and private club space, having led one of the industry’s largest software companies. Our clients and partners will benefit tremendously from Joe’s unique expertise.”

As a senior business leader and ICF certified coach who has led global organizations with successive years of profitable growth. Joe works with C-suite leaders and business owners to help develop their plans to be more and do more with their leadership and business potential.

“It is an honor to be selected to join the outstanding team at GGA Partners,” noted Oswald. “I have always been impressed with the experience and professionalism of the team, as well as their approach to delivering unique services tailored to the new realities of private clubs.”

Oswald was most recently president at Jonas Club Software, a Constellation Software company where he led 5 businesses. He previously served in several technology firms in roles as chief operating officer, executive vice-president, business development and as a principal in a national executive coaching and career transition services firm.

“Our team had the privilege of collaborating with Joe on a number of initiatives during his tenure at Jonas Club Software. We are confident his industry knowledge and expertise will benefit our clients,” commented Managing Director and Partner Derek Johnston.

Media Contact:
Michael Gregory
michael.gregory@ggapartners.com

 

 

 

 

 

Creating Your Forward-Looking Capital Plan

The process to create a capital plan begins with three questions:

1) Do you know how much capital your club requires to replace its existing assets?

2) Not including your ‘wish list’ of whiz-bang new assets like golf training technologies or new casual dining or state-of-the-art member services, do you know what your capital needs are?

3) And do you know how your club will source the required funds?

Like most club leaders, you may have answered these three critical questions with a cautious ‘no’. The fact is that few clubs are looking to the future with a bona fide capital asset replacement plan.

Here are three steps to take for beginning your club’s forward-looking capital planning:

1. Conduct a capital reserve analysis of existing assets.
Build an asset replacement spreadsheet with the following columns:

Asset Description | Useful Life | Remaining Useful Life | Replacement Value

This will yield a comprehensive view of current assets and provide the club and its future board members and operators with a clear-eyed understanding of the sums required over the upcoming 10- and 20-year time periods. With these steps, you have established your current capital needs on an annualized basis.

2. Itemize the assets you wish to add to your asset roster.
Contemporary design concepts that enhance member experiences are emerging, offering clubs greater relevance and engagement for members – new and old. Among the most popular new concepts are:

Sports Training Facilities like golf and tennis swing and stroke analysis technologies and the gamification of these technologies.

Al Fresco Dining Venues like porches and patios bring the indoors out and the outdoors in many clubs where COVID-era members grew comfortable with a little more personal space and sercouldle to navigate dining spaces more comfortably.

Swimming pools for all ages where club members require lap lanes for serious fitness swimmers, splash pads that are proving safer (than the old-school kiddie pool) for children, and resort-style pool areas for adult members.

Club leaders should plan boldly when considering new amenities. When the membership market cools, good fortune will favor the bold.

3. Identify the sources of funds that are needed.
This is the uncomfortable topic during which most club boards freeze up and seek to procrastinate. Many leaders are uncomfortable telling members that more money is required for the future.

Don’t sell your members short. If they were smart enough to join a fine club, they are smart enough to know – whether they like it or not – that club membership comes with extra costs. Furthermore, most members know that fiscal discipline and prudent financial planning are the primary duties of servant leaders. Three points to remember when thinking about club spending:

  • Members expect you to know and tell them what is required for the club’s successful future. Ignoring this fact causes members to distrust their board members.
  • Members are intolerant of board members who ignore their financial responsibilities.
  • Even those criticizing dues increases know there should be a capital plan.

Use the following best practice standards in sourcing needed funds for capital requirements:

– Begin with the understanding the monthly dues should be used to pay the club’s bills. Regular dues fund all expenses on the income statement – labor costs, operational and administrative expenses.

– Joining fees paid by incoming members are used for funding capital asset replacements. If these funds are inadequate to fully address capital replacement needs, clubs turn to debt, capital calls on members (assessments), and a combination thereof.

Planning for the future financial needs of your club should be a top priority. Following these steps will set your club on the proper path.

This article was written by GGA Partner Henry DeLozier for BoardRoom Briefs.

 

GGA Partners Renews CMAA Partnership

GGA Partners Reinforces its Commitment to the Club Management Profession with Renewal of Club Management Association of America Partnership

West Palm Beach, FL/Alexandria, VA – The Club Management Association of America (CMAA) and GGA Partners (GGA) are pleased to announce a three-year renewal of their corporate partnership.

Through the CMAA Partnership Network, GGA Partners will continue its longstanding commitment to the club management professional. The new agreement has been designed to further enhance GGA’s contribution to CMAA’s mission with strategic research initiatives and thought leadership.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with CMAA and their members,” commented Derek Johnston, Managing Director and Partner of GGA Partners. “Our new business partnership has been designed to deliver impactful education and industry research in the areas that will be most relevant to club leaders in the years to come.”

As a CMAA Business Partner and presenting sponsor of CMAA’s Business Management Institute (BMI) Leadership Principles, CMAA has enlisted GGA’s support with research and education targeting governance, strategy, membership, and analytics.

The partnership will benefit CMAA members through numerous initiatives, including the GGA Institute Club Perspectives research series, including several different rolling studies, each focused on a targeted group of key stakeholders: club leaders, club employees, club members and club partners. GGA will also deliver educational sessions each year that include a club strategy workshop at CMAA’s World Conference & Club Business Expo, a GGA Institute workshop at CMAA’s Leadership/Legislative Conference, educational support at BMI Leadership Principles, and other webinars, publications, podcasts, and other educational initiatives.

“We are excited to launch the next chapter in our partnership with GGA,” noted Jeff Morgan, FASAE, CAE, President & Chief Executive Officer of CMAA. “Their team of professionals are committed to supporting education and research initiatives that promote the professional development of CMAA members, and we are incredibly appreciative of the very positive impact GGA has had on our association and our members over the past 15 years as a partner.”

For more information contact:
Derek Johnston
derek.johnston@ggapartners.com

Melissa Low, CAE
Club Management Association of America
goodnews@cmaa.org

 

Building Member Trust

Signs of distrust are everywhere, and private clubs abound with demands for greater transparency from club leaders as trust and trustworthiness are constantly being questioned.

Frustrated board members who work tirelessly in service to others can become demoralized by fellow members who demand “more transparency.” The incredibly nuanced circumstance comes down to three keys:

1. Say what you will do…and do it.
To achieve this simple-sounding advice requires that the board speaks with one voice and in writing. Too many board members become overly – and overtly – political when they are simply servant leaders within a membership of qualified leaders.

2. Communicate consistently.
Members – whether skeptical or not – want to know more. And no matter how much “more” the board provides, members assume that something is being withheld.”

Tactical steps that work:

  • Establish a standard cadence for Board communications concerning financial and governance topics. See that the club delivers to the timeline and cadence it has promised.
  • “Brand” club communications to enable members to know which they want to delete without reading. Some members have grown weary of promotional messages from the club concerning food and beverage specials…they can easily be deleted. Everyone wants to know about dues increases and capital projects.
  • The branding need not be the stuff Madmen might develop, it can be simply the Club Financial Update or Board Notes.
    Address misinformation and the bad actors behind it. Correcting inaccurate information is a service to all members. Quietly holding the bad actors to account is the duty of the board and its executive committee. Put people on notice.

3. Keep score.
Report performance results…especially if there is a miss. Taking ownership of unmet promises or misses is a part of being trustworthy. Ready examples are:

  •  Summarize last month’s financial performance, explaining whether it was on-budget, under- or over-budget. Make it easy for members to understand the information being presented from the board and management.
  • Measure engagement results. How many people signed up for the member/guest? How many had to be turned away? How many dropped out preventing others from the chance to participate? How many members voted…and did not. Everyone wants greater accountability which is a 360-degree proposition.
  • Take ownership of the misses. Owning an error, and explaining the steps that will be taken in the future to avoid making the same mistake, is a part of being trusted.

Your club can proactively move toward a more civil and reliable community when the leaders take the lead in trustworthy ways.

This article was written by GGA Partner Henry DeLozier and appeared in the January 4, 2025 edition of BoardRoom Briefs.

 

Executive Search: General Manager/Chief Operating Officer, Derrick Golf & Winter Club

General Manager/Chief Operating Officer
Derrick Golf & Winter Club
Edmonton, Alberta

 

The Derrick Golf & Winter Club (The Derrick) is more than just a club; it’s a community. A place where tradition meets innovation, and where members come together to create lasting memories. As the General Manager & Chief Operating Officer (GM/COO) of The Derrick, you will oversee all aspects of club operations and world-class facilities, which include a championship golf course, state-of-the-art fitness center, racket sports including badminton, tennis, pickleball, an extremely popular swimming facility, and a variety of social spaces.  You will have the opportunity to lead a dedicated team and shape the future of this iconic institution.

The Derrick is currently moving through a process to create a Master Plan to ensure the club continues to provide the value and activities relevant to its membership.  Currently this plan is in its final stages of development and will result in a five-to-ten-year program of large capital projects aimed at modernizing and expanding facilities, programming and social spaces throughout the club.  This is a very exciting time for the Derrick Club and its membership, and the new GM/COO is expected to play a significant role in the execution of the club’s Master Plan.

THE POSITION

Note: This opportunity is available as the current GM/COO Jim Hope has announced his retirement effective in early May 2025. 

The GM/COO is the most senior member of the Club’s management team reporting to the Board of Directors through the Board President. The GM/COO is responsible for delivering on the Member Experience at the Club and on its strategic and operational management. Direct reports include the Head Golf Professional, Golf Course Superintendent, Facility Manager, Director of Food and Beverage, Athletic Director, Director of Finance, and Executive Assistant/Membership Director. 

Position Description/Requirements

SEARCH EXECUTIVES

 

Michael Gregory
Managing Director & Partner
michael.gregory@ggapartners.com
905.475.4030

 

 

George Pinches
Director
george.pinches@ggapartners.com

 

 

Apply Here

 

 

Keys to Effective Communications

 

3 Keys to Effective Communications

Year after year, private club members demand ever-greater transparency and expect their servant leaders to communicate more effectively. In our experience, club leaders are responding, but the fact is that communications are only effective if they are two-way. Leaders must deliver effective communications, but members must open and read what is sent.

To develop communications your members want to read, GGA Director Linda Dillenbeck, a seasoned communications and brand management expert, offers three keys for club leaders seeking to improve the quality and relevance of the information they send to members:

1. Keep communications short and simple. “Too often, board communications are filled with unnecessary or irrelevant information. Use simple words to engage and inform members,” stated Dillenbeck. “The average person will consume about 200 words before they stop reading and start skimming, so don’t waste time telling someone how to build a watch when all they really need to know is the time.”

2. Separate your key thoughts. Dillenbeck has observed that the internal and external club communications are often complicated, fuzzy, or downright confusing. “Not only do people, and your members, prefer short communications, they also want simple and straightforward messages, “stated Dillenbeck. “The most-read information is the one that separates thoughts into shorter paragraphs and uses subheads and bullet points. In that way, a member in a hurry can get the gist of the message without reading every word.

3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. Linda observes, “Your members, like all consumers, are faced with over 3,000 messages of one type or another per day, most of which are not read or retained. If a key message needs to be conveyed about club business, it must be repeated multiple times in multiple communications. Just when you are tired of talking about a subject is when your members are beginning to pay attention.”

Although club members consistently criticize club communications, club leaders consistently put quantity over quality while citing their many attempts to communicate. In most cases, more is not better.

Dillenbeck advises, “The first thing a club can do to manage communications is to develop a Brand Standards Manual.” This document serves as a guide for staff and board members by outlining the overall messages and tone to be used in all internal or external communications. Not only does this help those who may find writing a difficult task, but it also ensures that your messages stay consistent with the image you are projecting of your brand.

With a Brand Standards Manual in place, the board and management team should develop a timeline for communicating with members. “The rule to follow in this regard is to communicate only when there is relevant information to share,” added Dillenbeck. “That means sending a weekly update may not be necessary; rather, every other week may suffice. Otherwise, your messages will be unread.”

One concern many clubs face is measuring the effectiveness of communications. How does one know if members are getting the message? “The most reliable way to track effectiveness is to use an email service that provides data about how many members opened the email, clicked on a link or responded to a question,” stated Dillenbeck. “If the numbers are low, club leaders must ask members why they are not opening the correspondence through intermittent member surveys.

Effective club communications set top-performing boards apart from other well-intentioned club boards. It is said that one should not feed the pigeons because they return wanting more when – in fact – feeding your members a steady diet of interesting and helpful messaging keeps your club relevant in their lives.

This article was written by GGA Partner Henry DeLozier and appeared in the November 16, 2024 edition of BoardRoom Briefs.

 

Executive Search: General Manager, Birmingham Country Club

General Manager
Birmingham Country Club
Birmingham, Michigan

 

Birmingham Country Club: Where Tradition Meets Membership.

Birmingham Country Club is a premier, full-service family club rich in history. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Birmingham, the Club is an ideal place for members to unwind and charge up. The Club features a scenic 18-hole championship golf course, racquet and paddle courts, a competition-sized pool and diving area, fitness facilities, fine and casual dining, and a full calendar of events.

Birmingham Country Club, an exclusive family-oriented private club, proudly counts over 600 families as its members, with an impressive 85% residing within a 5-mile radius of the Club. Acknowledged by many as a cherished second home, the Club holds in high esteem the authentic care and camaraderie shared among the members. The devoted staff is unwavering in their pursuit of excellence, exemplified by team members with remarkable tenures of 15, 20, or even 30 years of dedicated service. Embracing communal, family-oriented values, we not only honor our robust history but also forge ahead, building a tradition of excellence that will endure in Birmingham for generations to come. Dining is a popular draw because members have a choice of multiple dining locations. The Club Room offers outstanding a la carte dining (80 seats). A full menu is provided in both the Founders Pub and the Maguire Bar, which is a popular gathering spot because of the panoramic view. Poolside dining includes the Dive Bar and the elevated High Dive Observation Deck, which specializes in custom pizzas.

POSITION SUMMARY

The General Manager reports directly to the Board President and is responsible for leading and inspiring the entire team to consistently provide Members with the best hospitality experience possible. This position oversees all operational functions of the Club. Direct reports include the Controller, Director of Membership, Golf Course Superintendent, Executive Chef, Director of Golf, Director of Operations, and Director of Racquets.

Position Description/Requirements

SEARCH EXECUTIVES

 

Michael Gregory
Managing Director & Partner
michael.gregory@ggapartners.com
905.475.4030

 

 

Eric Hutchison, MBA, Ph.D.
Director
eric.hutchison@ggapartners.com

 

 

Apply Now

 

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