For all who did not listen to the first speech of our new President – Alberto Iglesias CCM, GM at Font Del Llop resort, Spain at the European Conference Gala Dinner:
Dear Colleagues and Friends
Thank you very much for joining us at this gala dinner in an unbeatable setting, to conclude a fantastic European Conference, with exceptional speakers. Thank you very much to the entire CMAE team and everyone who participated in the organization.
It all began on the 19th May 2009, when I joined this fantastic association, thanks to my mentor at the time – now colleague – and great friend Daniel Asis CCM. It was during the first Spanish Congress for Club Managers, organized by Club Manager Spain. In 2010, he went a step further and created the first International Congress for Club Managers in Benidorm, graced by none other than CMAA’s Jim Singerling and CMAE President John Hunt among other outstanding speakers.
Daniel instilled in me the importance of education and to be a good club manager, to help the golf industry to grow through education and team building.
And, like any good mentor, he not only inspired me but also got me into this mess!
From that point on, I embarked on the path of training through the MDPs. In a language that was not even mine! But, as you know, with a bit of enthusiasm and my passion (and more than a few headaches), you can make anything grow. Year by year, I applied what I learned at my club.
There were meetings, conferences, lectures, European Congresses, World Congresses….. And then one fine day, I thought “How can I reach even more people with these courses? How can I share all that we have learned?”. Naturally I spoke with Daniel and we asked CMAE to offer the courses in Spanish.
So, we rolled up our sleeves: translating, preparing presentations, finding new speakers….. you name it….. – all with the goal of growing CMAE.
And do you know what? We did it! We launched the courses, and over the last eight years, we have been adding dozens of new delegates to this ever-growing family.
I must also give a special thank you to Jason Koenigsfeld, who I met in 2012. Jason’s been there with us through thick and thin, helping us get those courses out in Spanish.
I would like to take a moment to thank all the presidents, board members, education directors and our current CEO Toby. With their time, energy and passion, together with the marvellous team at CMAE, we have managed to become a benchmark for training club managers across Europe and Middle East.
And of course, none of this would have been possible without our superb group of Sponsors, Partners and Corporate Allies who believe in this project and put trust in us. You are the unsung heroes behind the scenes and we could not have done it without you.
Since 2016, when I was proposed as a Board member and I was kindly endorsed by Javier Reviriego, General Manager at Valderrama, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with you all. It has been an honour to learn from your expertise and to strive together for CMAE’s growth.
Two years ago, our ex-president David Balden CCM, asked me to be his vice president. Now, let me tell you, it was the quickest “YES” I have ever given in my life! I saw it as the culmination of the journey Daniel had set me on – to share knowledge and help others grow.
My goal is to continue this incredible project that my predecessors built, and I plan to move forward with our strategic plan – one that is truly magnificent, I must say.
One of my main objectives is to harness recent technologies and improve our communication so that our courses can reach even more people.
We are fortunate to have an exceptional CEO in Torbjörn Johansson, and I have every confidence that, together with our new board and the rest of the CMAE team, we will keep evolving and bringing this strategy to fruition.
A special thank you to Michael Newland CCM, my vice president. He graciously accepted my proposal and I trust we will do a fantastic job together over the coming years with the board.
Just as Daniel believed in me, I too have believed in others. Today, I received a message from Fatima Arjona CMDip after congratulating her on her new appointment as Director of Operations at San Roque Club in Sotogrande. She wrote:
“I’ll always say that you were the first to believe in me, and that’s why I had to share this moment with you! To all of you who have supported me along this way, especially when it was no walk in the park, this recognition is as much for you as it is for me. Without your help, without the training and encouragement, I would still be up a mountain somewhere, trying to polish that diamond in the rough.
I am loving proof that your training works, especially when paired with passion and a dash of determination”.
I could not be prouder.
Now, I must mention my true source of energy – Vanesa, my rock, my wife.
She is always by my side, making me a better person every day. I will be eternally grateful to her, not only for the her love and support – but for standing by me when I had to juggle work and study. She made it look easy, even sacrificing family holidays so I could attend World Conferences, motivating me when things did not go as planned.
Today, she cannot be here because she is with our 8-year-old twins, Alberto and Maria, making sure they are as proud of their dad as I am of them.
If you have someone like that by your side – congratulations – you can conquer the world.
Thank you, thank you and a thousand thanks to everyone who is here today and to those who could not make it. You have all been part of this journey and I hope we continue to walk it together.
CMAE President
Alberto Iglesias CCM
Font Del Llop Resort, Spain
[email protected] +34 672757612
