June 26, 2019- Singapore:
Steven Thielke, Matthew Murray and Vijaykumar Raj have
reaped the rewards of their hard work by gaining the coveted Certified Club
Manager (CCM) accolade, the gold standard in club management certification
globally.
Thielke,
Chief Executive Officer at Malaysia’s TPC Kuala Lumpur, Murray, Managing
Director of Singapore’s Champions Golf, and Raj, former Assistant General
Manager of the American Club, Singapore, are among the first Asian-based
individuals to achieve this notable milestone.
“We
congratulate Steven, Matthew and Vijay on their outstanding achievement,” said Eric
Lynge, Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Golf Industry Federation
(AGIF). The AGIF is an International Associate partner of the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) and authorised
to run Business Management Institute (BMI) programmes as well as Chapter and
Association Education, which are part of the pathway to the CCM.
“The AGIF has brought more than 35 club professionals into the
programme. In achieving CCM status, I’m sure that Steven, Matthew and
Vijay have set the benchmark for their peers around the region. In the
coming years, we look forward to seeing many more club managers from
Asia following in their footsteps,” said Lynge.
The
BMI is a professional development programme developed and launched by the CMAA
in the early 1980s. Noting managers at all phases of their careers need
instruction, education or inspiration, the concept of the ‘lifetime
professional development programme’ was born.
The
vision was realised as a multi campus-based programme that provides tangible
career benchmarks by which managers can track their progress and strive for
various levels of competency, including a respected certification.
The
curriculum is based on 10 competency areas covering every aspect of a club
manager’s job.
Thielke
said: “Achieving the Club Management Association of America’s CCM gives me a
sense of achievement and validation for the work that we do in the club
business.
“Many
managers do such wonderful work within the club business, but often they do so in
isolation without the support, camaraderie and encouragement of like-minded
industry professionals.
“Besides
the incredible education platform, the CCM process also connects industry
professionals from across the globe. I personally found this to be very
valuable.”
Murray
said: “The introduction of the BMI in Southeast Asia by the AGIF has been a
tremendous initiative and provided an opportunity for all club general managers
and future club general managers throughout the region.
“Initially, I didn’t know what to expect. However, on my journey, I
learned that the BMI covered many areas of management with which I was
unfamiliar. I now have a much better understanding of the total club
management business.
“I
will introduce many of the systems and concepts into my every day management
and assist some of my senior management with their future BMI journeys.
“Over
time, I believe being a Certified Club Manager will become a condition of employment
for clubs in Southeast Asia. Therefore, the managers who achieve their CCM
early will be at the forefront of future club management in the region.”
Raj
said: “This has been an amazing journey to get here and achieve CCM status. The
knowledge gained and friendships made are priceless.
“Every
BMI programme I have been through has helped me in becoming a better leader,
effective, efficient and stronger in all areas of club operations.
“My
thanks to the CMAA and the AGIF for enabling us to attain our CCM certification
and for making the BMI programmes available in Southeast Asia. To those with
ambitions of becoming future leaders in club management, I’d encourage them to
sign up for future courses.”
In
the CMAA 2015 Compensation and Benefits Report, it was reported that the head
of club’s compensation with CCM designation was 31% higher
than a head of club’s compensation without CCM designation.
“Since we partnered with
the CMAA in 2015, we have run nine BMI courses in
the Asian region as well as provided various Chapter and Association credit
opportunities via our Club Management Mini Summit and co-operative programmes
with various national associations.
The
BMI programmes are completely endorsed and empowered by the CMAA and is
equivalent to what one can receive in the United States. The Business
Management Institute courses are five-day, 40-hour, intensive sessions designed
for managers with a desire to explore the basic elements of their profession in
a comprehensive manner. The programme takes a tangible, hands-on approach to
the subject matter.
The next AGIF-executed BMI course is to be held in Jakarta from
August 26-30 and is attracting high-powered executives from prominent
clubs in Indonesia and around Southeast Asia. The course is being
presented by the AGIF, the CMAA and the Golf Club Managers Association
of Indonesia.
Another
AGIF-organised BMI course is planned to be held in Delhi, India in November.
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