Adele McLean named as new managing director of TGI

TGI Golf Partnership, golf’s leading retail services group, has welcomed a new managing director, Adele McLean.

Adele has worked for the group for 16 years and took over from Eddie Reid on April 1, after he stepped down having been in the post for the last 17 years.

It was announced that the 53-year-old, who has been on the board of directors for five years, would succeed Reid last year and the group has gone through a 12-month transition period prior to her taking over.

“I’m very honoured and excited to be taking over from Eddie,” she said. “We have worked closely together since I started at TGI Golf back in 2008. Our plan is to continue moving the group forward with the ever-changing retail landscape to ensure our Partners carry on running profitable and successful businesses.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to Eddie for everything he has done for TGI Golf over the last two decades. And, of course, to my father, for giving me such a great start and education in the golf retail industry.”

Adele has spent her entire professional career working in golf retail, having started out assisting her father John Mulgrew, a highly respected PGA professional, run his retail operation at the Normandy Golf Range in Renfrew, when she was just a teenager.

Having gained a degree from Strathclyde University she returned to work with her father on a part time basis, which soon became full time as she took on the retail manager’s role.

That vast experience of working in a successful golf retail operation for so long stood Adele in good stead when Reid approached her in 2008 to offer her a position at TGI Golf.

Nearly two decades on she has now taken on the role of managing director and looks to continue building on the success TGI Golf has enjoyed over the last 40 years.

“I have been working closely with Eddie almost since I started, so for 15 years I have seen first-hand what the job entails and have built good relationships with our partner suppliers and partners,” added Adele.

It is this experience, dedication, and sound business sense, as well as the strong relationships built up over many years which saw Adele offered the MD role by the TGI Golf board of directors.

Mike Bradley, TGI Golf chairman, explained: “When Eddie informed us that he would be stepping down we had to decide as to whether we wanted to look outside of the group for a new MD or to promote from within.

“The reality is that it was a very simple decision. The group is not in distress, it is in a very strong position with a great team all working very hard to help us as PGA Professionals. To bring someone in from the outside would risk all that, coupled with the fact that our business is built on having strong relationships with the group’s partners and partner suppliers. Adele has all of that, she has been doing it for 16 years and is in the perfect position to continue the great work both her and Eddie have been doing.”

Adele’s move into the MD’s chair has seen a reshuffle of the group’s staff structure, with her previous role of group services director being split into three.

Chris Taylor, who has been with TGI Golf for 15 years, moves into the role of retail team manager where he will oversee the group’s retail consultants. Chris Todd – who has worked for TGI for 11 years – has become group services manager, looking after the needs of the group’s 478 partners across the UK and Ireland.

Gordon Stewart, a TGI golf partner for 24 years prior to his retirement as Cawder GC PGA professional last year, has taken on the role of supplier relationship manager.