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Since our last newsletter Kopplin & Kuebler International has started on its quest to deliver its brand outside of the US. The concept and benefits of Executive Search and consultancy in the club industry is relatively new internationally and therefore the story behind the brand has to be told.

In the last 4 months I have travelled to London, Madrid (twice),Milan, Dubai (twice), Edinburgh and Amsterdam. We have had articles published in numerous countries and have spoken at several conferences and seminars. In addition we sponsored the European Club Managers Conference in Madrid. The reaction has been amazing and the industry is excited by our brand and inquisitive about the services and products we provide.

We are delighted to have received more than 350 resumes from some of the most talented Club Managers, Directors of Golf, and Course Superintendents in the world. We have also been asked to endorse the new Director of Golf programme for the PGA of Great Britain and asked to support and teach some of the Golf Degree syllabus at Bournemouth University.

At a seminar held at Golf Club Milan for presidents,owners and managers in May, when Dick and Kurt joined me on a small European Tour, the question was asked “what does our brand represent?” The following answer was put forward by the group:  Knowledge, Trust, and Experience.

This is exactly what we wanted to hear as it endorsed the fact that, between us, we have over 60 years of experience (Dick having the most of course!) in the club industry at the very highest level, and can bring clubs a unique insight into helping them find exactly what they are looking for when requiring a search or undertaking a review of their operations or strategic planning. This is something that other search firms, especially outside of the US, cannot compete with and we believe this will help us to become one of the leading executive search firms for the club industry in the world.

Whilst traveling I have adopted the club’s mantra that “Leaders are Readers” and have read a number of books on leadership and best business practice. The two that stand out are Setting the Table, by Danny Mayer and Onward, by Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks. Both books provide so many examples of best practices for the club industry and how we can learn from our mistakes to deliver a great product for members, employees, and in some cases, the finance houses who now have a very big say in how some clubs operate.

Kurt has also been inspired by Onward, and watch out for some new material from Kopplin & Kuebler International as we are developing a series of presentations from some of the ideas and strategies identified by Howard and his team to turn around a billion dollar business and identify the core meaning of their brand and what it represents.  We believe these ideas and procedures can really help the club industry as we come out of recession.

My first few months with the company has also allowed me to re-establish long term friendships within the golf and club business and prove to me what a great profession we work in. I would especially like to thank Jerry Kilby, Orlaf Born, Arnaldo Cocuzza ,Daniel Asis, Jorgen Kjellgren ,Kevin Fish, the guys at KPMG, The Education Dept. at PGA of  Great Britain, and my colleagues at Kopplin & Kuebler International – especially Nan and Lisa, for all their technical help, for allowing me to establish our brand internationally and for their support and friendship in our start-up period. – NF

Niall G. Flanagan
Niall Flanagan is a Managing Partner of Kopplin & Kuebler International, spearheading International Executive Search Services and Consulting throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America.

At the annual meeting in Madrid on March 31, 2011, CMAE members will confirm my role as their President for the next two years. To become CMAE’s fifth President and the first from outside the United Kingdom and Ireland feels great and I am extremely honoured. Taking over from John Hunt is very exciting, however not in any way easy.

CMAE celebrates its 10 year anniversary in 2011. The organization has quickly grown into one of the leaders in the golf and club industries. From a relatively anonymous existence in the first years, CMAE has, under the leadership of Jerry Kilby as our CEO, undergone a remarkable transformation. CMAE currently has 24 member countries and fills its role well as the collective body of club management and trade associations throughout Europe. The main tasks are to continually raise standards and promote professionalism in club management, which we live with every day.

CMAE was in its early days an organization which was Great Britain and Ireland, reflected in both Board and membership. Today the organization has become what it was created to be, representative of the club management profession with influences from all over Europe. The current Board is represented by nine different countries which is fantastic.

In the next two years, I see before me a number of great challenges, including to finally be able to deliver a structured education program for club managers and those seeking a career in our industry. The program will be based on CMAA’s “BMI system.” Many of the member countries have their own well-structured program which of course they should continue to develop. However, to achieve a common standard in Europe, coordination among the countries is a must, since the goal of increasing the number of CCMs in Europe is one of my major tasks during my tenure as President.

I also plan to further expand cooperation with other countries that already have adopted programs which lead to the CCM, such as Canada, South Africa and China. The opportunity for our CMAE club managers to learn from and share experiences will become more important in the future.

Another major goal is that Europe must come closer to creating its own “European Conference.” We are hoping our International Congress, now in its third year, will become our annual major European Conference, which we believe is a natural progression for our industry and I hope it becomes a reality before my time as President is over in 2013.

I look forward to meeting you all at future conferences and training sessions, which will give me the opportunity to exchange experiences with you.

Yours Sincerely,

Jörgen Kjellgren, Vice President, CMAE

Jörgen Kjellgren
Jörgen Kjellgren is Vice President of the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) and General Manager of Rya Golf Club, Helsingborg, Sweden