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Leveraging Differences in the Boardroom

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GGA Partners Releases New Whitepaper on Private Club Governance as Part of Thought Leadership Series

‘Leveraging Differences in the Boardroom’ Now Available for Download

TORONTO, Ontario – International consulting firm GGA Partners has released Leveraging Differences in the Boardroom, the third in its new series of thought leadership whitepapers. This authoritative guide explores the benefits of clubs with diverse boards and suggests several steps to take when recruiting with diversity in mind.

Leveraging Differences in the Boardroom evaluates the consequences of unintentionally insular board composition and challenges the idea of “sameness” in the boardroom, which limits the ability of a board to effectively perform its duties and threatens a club’s health and longevity. The paper illustrates how multiple perspectives contribute to greater success in governance and argues for adjusting the profile of a club’s leadership to better serve members and prospects.

“We often see board members with similar professional, cultural, and ideological backgrounds and perspectives,” explained GGA Partner Henry DeLozier, one of several authors of the piece. “Boards that are neither representative of the membership nor reflective of their surrounding community risk losing the opportunity both to serve their current members and to attract new members.”

In addition, the whitepaper encourages that clubs intent on increasing diversity among their board take a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to its creation. “Forward-thinking boards understand that it is the breadth of perspective, not the mere inclusion of various diverse traits, that benefits the organization,” said DeLozier. “In addition to social diversity, professional and experiential diversity are also important in increasing the range of perspectives represented on the board.”

Board diversification is likely to be met with resistance from the status quo, which the paper aims to help club leaders overcome by providing tactics for building a diverse board, developing new board member criteria, and making a commitment to diversity.

In addition to governance, GGA Partners recently published new whitepapers on strategic planning and branding. The firm has announced that another in the series focused on innovation will be published through the third quarter of 2020.

Click here to download the whitepaper

 

About GGA Partners

GGA Partners™ is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities. We are dedicated to helping owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives, and maximize asset performance.

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. For more information, please visit ggapartners.com.

Media Contact:

Bennett DeLozier
GGA Partners
602-614-2100
bennett.delozier@ggapartners.com

Murray Blair, Club and Branding Executive, Joins Global Golf Advisors as Director

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Blair to expand the firm’s club and resort strategy, operations, transformation, and monitoring services

TORONTO, Ontario – Global Golf Advisors (GGA) – the leading authority on successful ownership and management practices for golf, private club, resort, and residential real estate businesses – has announced that respected club, resort, and branding executive, Murray Blair, has joined the firm’s Canadian office as a Director.

As a Director with GGA, Murray specializes in club and resort strategy, operations, brand building, transformation and performance monitoring. “The reimagination of club and resort businesses is in full swing with strategically crafted and nurtured brands driving value creation for savvy owners and operators,” explained Blair. “We at GGA are proud to support superior clubs and resorts around the world in developing and implementing the very best strategy and brand position in order to maximize club investment and lifestyle objectives.”

Murray will continue building upon GGA’s market-leading strategy and operations consulting services and leverage the firm’s robust research and analytics offerings to help clients transform their businesses and implement a game plan for long-term success and sustainability.

Derek Johnston, a partner in GGA’s Toronto office, provided insight into how the firm’s expanding team enhances its commitment to client success, “GGA’s mission is to help our clients solve their toughest problems. We are increasingly asked to remain involved in our club client’s projects on an ongoing basis; to monitor progress and, when needed, effectively evolve strategy to truly maximize performance over the long-term. Murray’s club leadership experience, history of managing premium brands, and dynamic charisma are perfectly aligned to deliver on these services. He is an incredible addition to our team and an invaluable resource for clients.”

Murray rejoins GGA after a successful eight-year stint leading transformations for a large retail brand and one of the top private clubs in the Greater Toronto Area.

“I am eager to rejoin the GGA family,” said Murray Blair, “I have remained in close contact with the GGA team during my time in club management and operations, and have enjoyed watching the firm grow and prosper. I have particularly enjoyed seeing GGA’s younger team members grow into industry leaders. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated and capable group again and contribute to the firm’s continued growth.”

Murray joins GGA to expand on what has already been a multifaceted career in the club and resort industries. Most recently, Murray was the General Manager at Granite Golf Club, one of Canada’s most innovative private family golf clubs, successfully rejuvenating the club’s brand and membership.

Prior to joining Granite Golf Club, Murray spent three years as Vice President at Joe Boxer, modernizing the garment brand for the Caulfield Apparel Group and leading Joe Boxer through an award-winning rebranding process that revitalized the brand, ultimately earning a 2014 Cassies Bronze medal.

Over the course of his career, Murray has also worked for the TPC organization as part of the opening team at TPC Scottsdale; spent four years with Marriott hotels in Arizona and Napa, California; ten years running the golf division for Fairmont Hotels, during which time he was ranked as one of the top 25 most influential people in Canadian Golf; and three years as a Vice President with ClubLink before his initial four years of consulting with Global Golf Advisors.

Through these experiences, Murray has been involved in the development and restoration of a number of great golf courses in North America including Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, The Algonquin Resort, and Mayakoba in Mexico. Murray is active across the club industry serving on a number of advisory boards, including the Golf Ontario board, and delivers education sessions at various industry conferences.

About GGA

Global Golf Advisors (GGA) has provided industry-leading advisory services to more than 3,000 clients worldwide including private clubs, hotels, resorts, residential golf communities, developers, homebuilders, government agencies and municipalities, financial institutions, investors and lenders. Operating out of three global offices in Toronto, Phoenix, and Dublin, GGA is a highly specialized consulting firm focused on club and leisure related assets with a professional services heritage as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice. The firm’s expertise lies in its ability to effectively meld club management and operational expertise with highly capable professional strategists and experienced business analysts. GGA personnel include former club managers with experience leading exceptional clubs, along with alumni of Deloitte, Fairmont, KPMG, Marriott, Pulte Homes, PwC, and Scotia Capital. For more information, please visit www.globalgolfadvisors.com.

Media Contact

Derek Johnston, Partner at Global Golf Advisors
djohnston@globalgolfadvisors.com
905-726-0701

Murray Blair, Director at Global Golf Advisors
mblair@globalgolfadvisors.com
416-728-4186

GGA Careers: Associate

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Associate

Global Golf Advisors (“GGA”) is expanding and we are looking for a highly motivated associate to join our firm and grow with our team.

Responsibilities:

Working alongside fellow Associates, and reporting to GGA’s Managers and Senior Leadership team, you will perform specialized research and advisory tasks as described below:

  • Collecting and analyzing financial and operational data from a variety of sources for specific client engagements;
  • Conducting in-depth market research for leisure related businesses around the world;
  • Assistance with report and presentation preparation while working with other team members;
  • Input and tabulation of data, monitoring industry statistics and following trends in the industry;
  • Calculation and analysis of financial information and operational metrics;
  • Managing multiple client deliverable deadlines.

The successful candidate will be hard-working with a high attention to detail and a passion for research and analytics.

Requirements:

  • Professional services experience with a major accounting or consulting firm;
  • Experience with golf, private club, residential real estate or resort businesses;
  • Minimum education is a Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Related;
  • Strong communication skills (i.e., interpersonal skills, telephone etiquette, etc.);
  • Strong analytical skills;
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, including but not limited to Excel, Word, and PowerPoint;
  • Understanding of financial statements;
  • Must possess fluency in the English language;
  • Detail oriented; and,
  • Strong market research skills.

Start Date: As soon as possible.
Salary: Commensurate with experience.
Location: Toronto, Canada

All qualified applicants should apply to info@globalgolfadvisors.com with relevant applicant materials.

GGA to Offer Sophisticated Electronic Voting Services to Private Clubs

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Exclusive partnership with Simply Voting provides private clubs access to a secure online voting platform for club elections.

Global Golf Advisors (GGA) and Simply Voting have formed an exclusive partnership to provide a secure voting platform designed to allow private club members a simple and easily accessible manner in which to cast ballots during club elections. GGA will begin offering the Simply Voting system as a stand-alone service or in combination with this governance guidance platform to private clubs worldwide.

Founded in 2003, Simply Voting Inc. is a full-service provider of secure, hosted online elections. Multiple independent third-party audits have validated the integrity and security of the platform. The company has worked with over 2,000 organizations across the world including government entities, political organizations, educational institutions and unions.

“Engaging private club members to participate in important elections can be a challenging and expensive proposition,” stated GGA Manager Martin Tzankov. “The Simply Voting online system eliminates the need for paper ballots and multiple mailings. Members have the ability to access the voting platform at their convenience and once identity is authenticated, a tamper proof ballot is provided that is easy to understand, complete and submit.”

The Simply Voting system is equally easy for club managers. In addition to voter authentication and tamper proof ballots, the system provides a branded club website, computerized tabulation of results and a variety of reports.

“Online voting is quickly becoming the accepted practice across business, government and organizations to provide an efficient and effective method to ensure election integrity,” commented GGA Director of Private Club Services Michael Gregory. “We view the Simply Voting system as complementary to our governance and strategic advisory services and another opportunity to assist our clients in maximizing their operating efficiency.”

“As we sought to introduce our voting system to the club industry, we felt it important to partner with a company whose corporate values aligned with our promise to deliver an excellent product with honesty and integrity,” commented Simply Voting President Brian Lack. “Global Golf Advisors, with its excellent reputation, was the natural choice. We believe the company has the depth and breadth to ensure our shared goal of providing an efficient voting system to private clubs will be met.”

Increasing membership satisfaction is a key goal of all private clubs. The Simply Voting system, with its accessibility, integrity and ease of use, will ensure members will be satisfied with the voting results of important club elections.

About Global Golf Advisors

Global Golf Advisors (GGA) has provided industry-leading advisory services to more than 3,000 clients worldwide including private clubs, hotels, resorts, residential golf communities, developers, homebuilders, government agencies and municipalities, financial institutions, investors and lenders.  Operating out of three global offices in Toronto, Phoenix, and Dublin, GGA is a highly specialized consulting firm focused on club and leisure related assets with a professional services heritage as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice.  The firm’s expertise lies in its ability to effectively meld club management and operational expertise with highly capable professional strategists and experienced business analysts. GGA personnel include former club managers with experience leading exceptional clubs, along with alumni of Arthur Andersen, Deloitte, KPMG, Pulte Homes, PwC, and Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets. For more information, please visit www.globalgolfadvisors.com.

About Simply Voting

Simply Voting Inc. is a full-service provider of secure, hosted online elections. Driven by dedicated staff who value transparency, high security, and the need for customized solutions, Simply Voting delivers excellence in providing secure, efficient voting solutions which create value for their client organizations. Launched in 2003, the Simply Voting system has been employed by over 2,000 organizations from municipalities, universities and unions to safely execute their elections. Many reputable third parties have audited the product, technical infrastructure, and corporate infrastructure, confirming the integrity and security of the system. For more information, please visit www.simplyvoting.com.

For additional information, contact

Michael Gregory
mgregory@globalgolfadvisors.com
416.524.0083

3 Attributes of an Outstanding Club Manager

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What does it take to be an outstanding club manager? And for clubs seeking to fill this role, what attributes should they be looking for?

GGA’s new Executive Search Director, Patrick DeLozier, explains what it takes to be among the best private club managers.

It takes a particular type of individual to be a club manager.

Seldom is it a job with set hours and set responsibilities; it is more often a vocation which requires an unprecedented level of commitment and drive.

Rewarding? Yes. Challenging? Most certainly.

Throughout my time both at the sharp end of club management, as well as participating in national associations and state boards, one thing was abundantly clear – the role of the club manager is inextricably linked with the success or failure of a club.

It is, therefore, an appointment clubs cannot afford to get wrong.

But what makes an outstanding club manager?

1) Strong work ethic

High performing club managers are leaders with a relentlessly strong work ethic.

They are dedicated, committed and visible to the whole club – including both their membership and their team.

Beyond the general day-to-day requirements, the best club managers have a sense of when and where to be at all times. Not simply to be seen, but to demonstrate leadership and accessibility, consciously engaging with everyone they encounter in a meaningful and constructive way.

For team members this means being willing to mentor, offer guidance and invest time in their well-being and progression, whatever the role. For members, it is going the extra mile, ensuring exceptional service levels and a commitment to continuous high levels of satisfaction.

The club manager should be the face and voice of the club, not tucked away in a back office.

2) Forward-thinking

Effective managers do not stand still. They are always growing, always looking forward.

For them, success is just fuel to improve, and failure is an opportunity to learn and avoid repeat mistakes.

They are relentless when it comes to innovation: they recognize trends, the importance of future generations, and consider how to best position their club to take the opportunity they present.

As golf and particularly private clubs move ever more towards service and experience, the most forward-thinking club managers are tuned into three important things:

  • Continuous investment in the property (and the areas in which to invest)
  • Attracting, training and motivating the right people for their team
  • Perfecting operational execution to create the ultimate experience for members and guests

3) Welcomes accountability

A high performing club manager never waivers when it comes to being accountable and holding oneself to exceptional standards of integrity and honesty.

While moral and ethical accountability is of paramount importance, so too is business accountability.

Successful managers engage in business intelligence and the ability to root decisions in evidence and fact. They embrace performance targets, and motivate their team to meet them.

More broadly, outstanding club managers welcome the existence of a strategic plan to determine the direction of travel, underpin all that they do, and provide a vision for the future they can unite the entire club behind.

To perform such a complex and varied role, a club manager will need an armory of attributes – not just three. But these traits should serve as a good foundation for what it takes to be an outstanding private club manager and help to safeguard your club from choosing the wrong candidate.

Recovering from the missteps of inadequate leadership can be an enormous burden, so if your club needs guidance in the recruitment of a new club manager or leader, please connect with me for an informal discussion.

Connect with Patrick DeLozier

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