Today we had the great pleasure of Sir Clive Woodward visit Stewart Golf HQ to have a factory tour and also talk to the team about his experiences as Rugby World Champion coach and Director of Sport at the British Olympic Association.
Sir Clive (or 'just Clive' as he later insisted) is an avid golfer & has been a Stewart Golf customer since 2009 when he purchased an X5 Remote. After upgrading to the X9 Follow earlier this year, I invited him to HQ for a tour.
Having read his excellent autobiography 'Winning!' many years ago, I knew Sir Clive was more than just a sports coach. As well as a successful career in the corporate world in the UK and Australia, Sir Clive also ran his own sales & leasing business prior to becoming England's first professional Rugby coach. His methods and ideas were part of a revolution in British sport that culminated with Team GB's best ever Olympic games in 2012.
After I welcomed him to Stewart Golf and gave him a tour of the facilities including the X9 Follow production line, the whole team from Chairman to factory gathered together for an hour in the company of Sir Clive Woodward.
We all sat transfixed as Sir Clive explained the special 'teamship' rules that his England Rugby squad developed, the concept of individuals being 'energisers' and 'sappers' and also some insider stories on the success of the all conquering GB track cycling team at the 2012 Olympics (that must remain a secret...). Innovation has been at the core of Sir Clive's success throughout his career, a philosophy that is dear to the hearts of everyone here at SG. Creativity is key to everything we do, and not just when it comes to design. All areas of Stewart Golf, just like any successful team, benefit immeasurably from innovative thinking.
It was a great pleasure to meet Sir Clive and a real privilege to have a private audience with him, to be able to ask questions about his ideas and for him to speak so freely. Opportunities of this kind rarely come along and it was incredibly special experience for me personally and the rest of the team.
Sir Clive, or 'just Clive' as we all now know you, thank you.