Jakarta, Indonesia: Club governance, accounting and mentoring and career development will be among the modules to be covered under the latest Business Management Institute (BMI) Asia Pacific education programme.

To be held in Jakarta, limited spots are available for the five-day event (August 26-30) that is attracting high-powered executives from prominent clubs in Indonesia and around Southeast Asia.

The AGIF will be working with the national partner, the GCMAI, under the leadership of its President, Budi Kosasih.

The course is presented by the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF), the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) and the Golf Club Managers Association of Indonesia (GCMAI). As the official partner, the certification programme powered by CMAA is executed by the AGIF.

The course will be led by Dr Larry Ross, a distinguished speaker and presenter with a glittering history who has been a frequent visitor to Asia in recent years.

Eric Lynge, the AGIF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Business Management Institute is a five-day, 40 hours, intensive session 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.

“For attendees, it’s another step on the pathway to the Certified Club Manager (CCM) degree, which is now the gold standard in club management certification globally.

“We’re excited that this will be our first BMI in Indonesia and delighted to have a presenter of the calibre of Dr Ross, who has received numerous awards for teaching excellence.

“Dr Ross works extensively as a facilitator in strategic planning for a diverse range of clients from public accounting firms, private clubs, not-for-profits, and government agencies. He is a popular speaker and is frequently invited to give presentations and seminars ranging from the need for business etiquette, to the role of internal marketing, and the impact of effective strategic planning.”

Dr Ross is the Anne and Bill France Distinguished Professor of Business in the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise. He received both his MBA and PhD in marketing from the J. Mack Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University. His Bachelor’s degree in business is from Florida State University.

Before coming to Florida Southern College, he served on the faculty of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality at Georgia State University for 12 years.

Dr Ross, whose teaching interests are in the areas of marketing, hospitality and strategic planning, has authored two books, one focused on marketing research and the second on strategic planning.

Now retired from a 30-year career as an owner/operator of dozens of restaurants, he continues to work as a consultant to the food service industry in the areas of marketing and operations.

It was in 2015 that the CMAA appointed the AGIF to execute the BMI education programme for the Asia Pacific region in partnership with existing CMAA partners in China, Hong Kong, Macau and New Zealand.

Lynge said: “Such a link was long overdue and has been welcomed not only by established club managers around Asia but also those who harbour ambitions of carving themselves a career in club management.”

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.

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.

The BMI programmes are completely endorsed and empowered by CMAA and is equivalent to what one can receive in the United States.

Further AGIF-organised BMI courses are being planned for later in the year.

*For BMI registrations and enquiries, please email Gwen Ng at gwen.ng@agif.asia or Krisna Dani in Indonesia at gm@lotuslakes.com