59club strengthens UK team with two new appointments
Chris Dowrick and Ian Orrell join 59club after many years of using the company's services as golf club operators and managers
59club is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to its UK&I team, with Chris Dowrick and Ian Orrell joining the business following distinguished careers managing and developing golf operations and clubs across the UK and Ireland.
The appointments are particularly significant for 59club, with both Chris and Ian having been long-standing 59club clients for over a decade. During their respective careers, both have used the company's benchmarking, mystery shopping, training and performance tools across a variety of golf and leisure environments, including proprietary clubs, private members' clubs and resort operations.
Their careers have seen them work across a number of highly regarded venues. Chris's experience includes Golf At Goodwood, Foxhills, North Foreland and Crowborough Beacon, while Ian has held senior roles at venues including Bolton Golf Club, Wychwood Park and Champneys Mottram Hall.
Both have also been recognised through 59club's own awards and accolades during their careers, giving them a unique perspective on what it takes to use the platform effectively and, importantly, turn insight into tangible improvements within a club.
Chris Dowrick
For Chris Dowrick, joining 59club represents an opportunity to move from advocating for the company as a client to helping other clubs realise the same benefits.
“59club is a company that has inspired me throughout the last 15 years of my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience it from almost every perspective – from working in golf retail and membership sales at proprietary clubs, through to managing private members’ clubs.”
Having used 59club as an operational tool throughout his career, Chris believes the real value comes when clubs use the information to influence the wider business, rather than simply treating it as a mystery shopper report.
“I’ve seen first-hand the impact it can have when the information isn’t simply treated as a mystery shopper report, but is actually used to influence training, standards and the entire customer journey.”
Chris is particularly passionate about the relationship between customer experience and commercial performance, and is looking forward to helping clubs identify opportunities to improve both.
“Increasing sales doesn’t have to mean becoming more ‘commercial’ at the expense of the customer experience. Very often, better sales are simply the result of better service, better processes and getting the individual touchpoints of the customer journey right.”
That philosophy is one he has experienced first-hand. During his time at Crowborough Beacon, Chris and the team used the wider suite of 59club tools as part of a significant focus on the customer journey and F&B operation. During that period, F&B moved from a circa £40,000 annual loss to a circa £6,000 profit, achieved through improving standards, service and the overall customer experience rather than simply seeking to sell more to members.
Ian Orrell
For Ian Orrell, the move to 59club represents the next stage of a relationship that has spanned for over a decade.
“I have been a client of 59club for roughly 10 years and have used all the tools on offer to help shape the golf operation at the venues I have managed.”
Ian has spent his professional career building, training and supporting teams to deliver outstanding experiences for both members and visiting golfers. He believes his experience of using 59club from the client's side of the relationship will allow him to provide practical, real-world support to clubs across the company's growing network.
“My experience over that time gives me a genuine understanding of both the opportunities and challenges that clubs face. I believe I can help venues understand how to use the collected data to improve both the golfing experience and the profitability of their business.”
59club believes the client-side experience that Chris and Ian bring will be particularly valuable as the business continues to expand its support for golf clubs and resorts across the UK.
Will Hewitt, Managing Director at 59club UK& I said, “We’re delighted to welcome Chris and Ian to the 59club team. What makes their appointments particularly exciting is that they have spent many years using the very tools and processes they will now be helping other clubs to maximise.
“They understand what it is like to receive a 59club report, take it back to a management team, use the findings to shape standards, procedures and training, and ultimately turn the insight into meaningful improvements. They know the challenges clubs face because they have experienced them themselves.”
"I wish to extend our thanks to Sean Plunkett and our Partners at Global Talent Solutions for leading our search, managing the recruitment process and presenting some outstanding candidates."
Chris and Ian have not simply observed the 59club process from the outside. They have used the mystery shopping reports, worked with the data, built standards and procedures around the findings, presented results to teams and boards, and used the insight to drive change within their own clubs.
That first-hand experience will now be brought to 59club's growing network of venues, giving clubs the opportunity to work with individuals who understand not only what the data says, but what it is actually like to put that data into practice.
Chris Dowick said on his appointment, “I love the company, I love what it stands for and having spent so much of my career as an advocate for 59club, I’m incredibly excited to now be part of the team and bring that passion to clubs.”
Ian Orrell said on his appointment, “To have the opportunity to do this throughout the growing network of 59club venues is a dream come true. I am excited about using my experience to support clubs and venues in raising standards, developing their teams and delivering outstanding customer experiences.”
Chris and Ian will begin working with 59club's network of UK venues from October, supporting clubs in making the most of the insight, benchmarking and development opportunities available through the 59club platform.
