The CMAE is delighted to announce that Ed Chapman, Chief Executive at Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club has gained the internationally renowned Certified Club Manager (CCM) certification.
The CCM designation has been the hallmark of professionalism in club management since 1965 and is the cornerstone of CMAE’s education programme. It is recognised globally as a valuable and widely respected mark of a manager’s commitment to professional development and the club industry.
How did you journey start Ed?
This journey started in 2018 when Dean Nelson sent me on my first MDP in Dubai. What a journey of learning and meeting amazing people it has been. Taking the exam and studying for it has been stressful, given I was going through the interview process for taking over the CEO role at the same time maybe didn’t help! But it has all been worth it. It’s only three simple letters after your name, but it means so much in this industry and those that have it understand what it takes to get them and it’s a small Club to join of global CCMs. Something I am immensely proud of. Next stop CCE?! Let’s see where the journey takes me.
You have been in a position to see Clubs in many different countries + do a great Podcast with people from within (and outside) the club industry. If you were to recommend a Young Manager to do something, to go somewhere – what would it be?
Be curious. That’s the best advice I can give. Reach out to people, read, listen, travel, ask questions. To be interesting you need to be interested, that’s a great motto that I’ve lived by. I find speaking to people and learning from them fascinating, and being able to do that by travelling around the world has been even better. Reach out to one Club manager on your holidays and take them for coffee. Learn from them, but it’s a two way interaction, they need to gain from it also, which could be as simple as being happy to have helped someone on their journey. In which, reach out and say thank you after.
Now in New Zealand you took the final two steps, one BMI/MDP and then review week and sitting the exam. As a person who did education in both Europe, Middle East and NZ – did the “Global Certification” work on your personal pathway?
I didn’t do the review week which in hindsight might have saved two attempts at the test given the narrow margin of failing (3 marks and then 1 mark). Doing it the way I’ve done, and most on the CMAE, is a truly global way of doing the qualification and by travelling to BMI/MDPs around the world gives you an amazing insight into learning from a diverse group. Given the location, the Middle East is the best hub in my opinion for attending because you get people from Europe, Asia and the Middle East attending which creates even more diversity to learn from.
Finally, I know you love reading – what are you reading right now? And if you were to recommend 1-2 books, which ones comes into your mind right now.
I’ve just finished reading Hidden Potential by Adam Grant and Leading Change by John P. Kotter. Both really interesting books which challenge you we see the world and how to lead change. Very insightful with lots of takeaways from both.
Also commenting was CMAE CEO Torbjorn Johansson “It is a proud moment to see Ed becoming a CCM and joining that part of our family. Ed made it through difficult times as well as worked now in multiple continents. Always great for us to work with our friends in New Zealand with Des Topp leading them. Ed is another brilliant example of the global family and a globally recognised certification”.
The CCM certification is available to club management professionals who have completed the full Management Development Programme and satisfy the eligibility requirements to sit the CCM exam. For more information see https://www.cmaeurope.org/education/certification/
Finally – if you want to have a look a the podcast that Ed is managing – look here: https://shows.acast.com/the-modern-club-management-podcast
