Jana-Lyn Fairbairn

AN INTERVIEW WITH OUR GENERAL MANAGER

The Glencoe Club is proud and excited to welcome “home” Jana-Lyn Fairbairn as our new General Manager as of January 6, 2020. J ana-Lyn was with The Glencoe Club for 10 years. During her time here, she delivered exceptional experiences to both members and staff in her role as Food & Beverage Manager (for both The Glencoe Club and The Glencoe Golf & Country Club). In 2017, she had the opportunity to return to her home town of Saskatoon and work as Executive Director of Riverside Country Club. For the past three golf seasons in this role, she has overseen all aspects of the Club.

Her experience at Riverside, her background and education in private club management and her understanding of our Mission, Vision and Values makes Jana-Lyn a perfect fit for the role of General Manager at The Glencoe Club. She is an inspirational leader who approaches her job with a unique combination of strategic thought, care, innovation and member service. She is committed to members and staff-focused. She works hard to ensure the creation of exceptional experiences.

Top: Jana-Lyn with Jan Bloemraad after receiving a Certified Club Manager designation in October in London, ON Right: Jana-Lyn with son Ewan and her husband Wayne at Christmas Jan Bloemraad, Ash Chadha, Rick Cooke and Jana-Lyn at the Board Retreat at the Rimrock in Banff in January 2020

How do you feel about coming back to The Glencoe Club? I am so excited to be coming home to The Glencoe Club. This is such an incredible place with a great membership and staff team.

Tell us what you have been up to since you left the Glencoe at the end of 2016. How will the experience you’ve gained help you succeed in your role as GM? I left The Glencoe Club to become the Executive Director of Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon. It was a big job with a lot of moving parts. I was fortunate to be able to work with the Club in implementing the four cornerstones of their strategic plan. Our team’s focus was on elevating the member experience. We created a complete marketing plan, including re-branding the Club and restructuring the membership categories and finances. The team and Board were very supportive and we had positive feedback from the membership. I left there feeling confident that I had positively impacted the future sustainability of the Club and its members’ experiences.

You’ve recently received your Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation. Tell us about that experience. It’s a HUGE relief to have it done! It was a long process with much valuable learning along the way. I’m proud to be a Certified Club Manager and grateful for the experience and especially for all the friendships with Club Managers from across Canada and the US that I met throughout the process. I believe in continuous improvement and am looking forward to starting down the path of becoming a Certified Club Executive next.

Tell us about your previous experience at The Glencoe Club as the Food & Beverage Manager. What are some of your fondest memories? The Food & Beverage team is the thing that stands out to me. They work so hard and care so deeply about the members leaving the Club each day having had an exceptional experience. Working in Food & Beverage can be challenging. Especially in the outlets, there are times when the team is “in the weeds” and you don’t think you will come out the other side. But then someone says something funny or insightful, everyone’s mood lightens and things just fall into place and come together. I think my favourite memories, though, are from working in banquets on family events — weddings, reunions, bar and bat mitzvahs, birthdays and even celebrations of life — feeling like you’re doing something one-of-a-kind for a family and creating a moment they will cherish forever…that’s what had the biggest impact on me!

What motivated you to apply for the GM position? The opportunity to return to The Glencoe Club and be a ‘Glenconian’ again was the draw. I really connect to the Club’s Mission, Vision, Values and the priorities set out in the Strategic Plan. I believe the Club is moving in the right direction and that the focus on elevating our member experiences is key.

In the private club industry, the role of GM is very much maledominated. How do you feel about being female and in this role? I guess it is fairly unique, and I feel like I do bring a slightly different perspective but honestly don’t often think about it and don’t feel like members or staff treat me any differently because I am a woman.

What’s your favourite aspect about being in a senior management role? There is literally never a dull moment! Things are changing and happening every minute of every day and being on the Senior Leadership Team and supporting all of those things happening as organically and synergistically as possible is very important to me. I believe in communication, collaboration and personal connection. The Club is our members’ and service teams’ second home. I want to do everything I possibly can to facilitate that comfortable, safe feeling!

What do you look forward to the most as the GM of The Glencoe Club? I look forward to helping our members make wonderful new memories at the Club. Whether you’re a fitness user who works out every day, a social member whose family celebrates at the Club or you and your family are here multiple times a day doing different activities and taking part in different programs… when you’re looking back or envisioning the future, I want you to trust that we have your best interest at heart and are doing all that we can for you.

What’s your favourite quote and why? I know it might be a bit of a cliché, but I love Maya Angelou’s quote “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I try to think of how I’m making people feel when I’m making a strategic or budget decision, chatting with members and service team members on my trek around the Club, getting cut off in traffi c or inevitably rushing my son through his getting ready for school routine.

How I make people feel is the most important thing to me and the little bit of legacy that I hope to leave with everyone I interact with.

What do you like doing in your spare time? My husband Wayne and I have a sixyear-old son, Ewan. So, I mostly enjoy watching hockey (Go Glenlake Senior Timbit Bruins!), playing Lego and practicing reading and math. I also love cooking, baking and entertaining and I’m an avid golfer, reader and Flames fan!

What comments would you like to make to our members? Thank you for trusting me! I am so excited to work with the Glencoe team to create incredible memories for you and your family at the Club. Please pop by to say hello or stop and talk to me if you see me around the Club. I would love to chat and look forward to meeting you! A