And when Chris departed Foxhills to become CEO at Moor Park in November last year, Sean was ready to step up. “Taking on his role as Director of Golf was a logical progression, and one that I’m entirely comfortable with. I worked well with Chris, got earmarked for the role and felt I was ready to apply for it when Chris decided to move on.
“Foxhills is well known for their internal progression opportunities, which I was well aware of when I returned from Saudi. There’s a real family feel about the place among the staff, and that was key in my decision to join them. We have a really good business model and a fantastic mix in terms of customer demographics. We pride ourselves on providing the best experience for the customer whatever they’re here for, and one of the great things about my role is that no two days are ever really the same.
Despite being still in his 20s when he was appointed Director of Golf, Sean’s all-encompassing skillset has been evident, impressing all of his peers with his attitude, focus and enthusiasm. “You have to be an all-rounder in a role like mine. I manage a fairly large team at Foxhills, peaking at around 25 personnel in the summer, so people management is obviously very important. Staying focused throughout the year is key, and I think that’s one of my particular strengths, as is my financial management and planning.
“The best piece of advice I ever heard was to never stop learning. For every difficult challenge within the business, there’s an opportunity to impress. As a young manager, the more you can learn from various experiences, the more you can influence and the more well-rounded you become in later life.
“Diligent diary management is important in my role, and I make sure I spend time early each day listing out everything I need to achieve. And at the end of the day, it’s vital to analyse what you have achieved, and what you haven’t – and then finding out why. That makes every day a learning experience, and something I’ve been very good at over the past couple of years in particular.
“And it’s not just hitting daily targets. I’ll set goals monthly, and annually, and the reflection at the end of each period, whether it’s a day, month or year, helps you realise where, and how, you can be most productive.”
As well as the day-to-day running of the business, Sean is also aware of the importance of being a positive influence on young PGA pros under his guidance, highlighting the value of the PGA Training Programme.
“The transition has been fairly smooth and that’s testament to the mentoring skills of Chris. I’ve got a young daughter, to managing my work/life balance is crucial, but another challenge I’m looking forward to,” he said. “I’m now a training professional for a few members of my team at Foxhills as they start their PGA journey, and they’ve been learning from myself and Chris and I’m confident we’ve been a positive influence on them.”