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GBN: This is a totally new role within the Bernhard Academy, can you explain how this move came about, and what the new position will entail?
Craig Haldane: The Bernhard Academy was initially launched back in 2019. Education really forms part of the DNA at Bernhard and Company, and it’s always believed that the future of the turf industry lies in education – a philosophy that the company has pioneered. Investing in people and providing them the opportunity to develop has been a key strategy and continues to this day.
The role of Director of Education was created to help the Academy to prosper and deliver on its vision. Bernhard and Company has a great relationship with its customer base and a phenomenal network within the industry. That allows us to have honest conversations and importantly, to listen, understand, and appreciate where we collectively feel there is opportunity to develop programs that enhance skillset. Ultimately, we want to professionalise what we do, whilst developing people along the way.
As Director of Education, my role is to develop unique content, create interactive workshops, and to build meaningful partnerships with companies and brands that we feel align with our values and support our vision.
GBN: What do the next few years look like as you continue to develop the Bernhard Academy? Do you have any personal ambitions?
CH: There’s somewhat of a lack of understanding of what it takes to produce quality turf grass surfaces under some of the most extreme pressures imaginable. We want the Academy to be a voice within the industry, to help articulate the levels of professionalism, passion, dedication, and skill involved. Key stakeholders need to better understand and appreciate everything that is involved. Simply, there isn’t enough knowledge across all levels, and as we know, knowledge is power. The Academy will be a key vehicle to ensure that the profile of this work is raised, understood, and respected across the board.
We have a steady growth mindset, and believe that in order to be successful, we have to deliver content that is on-point and to the right demographic. There is a real opportunity to develop a turf grass maintenance mechanic excellence program, to bring young people through the Academy and offer them opportunities to work at our partner facilities throughout the UK and further afield. This will include existing equipment managers too, who perhaps haven’t had the opportunity to upskill and ‘hang their hat’ on a valued qualification that confirms their extensive knowledge.
An immediate focus is developing a workshop aimed at both Course Managers and Deputy Course Managers, to enhance the agronomic skillset required to perform at the highest level. Importantly, this will also touch on the managerial skills that become prevalent as people take on more senior roles within a team. When you become a Course Manager, you quickly learn how vital it is to motivate, inspire, and lead others. We’re excited to introduce a number of these workshops and bring them to the industry in the year ahead.
GBN: How will the Bernhard Academy run alongside Bernhard and Company as a separate business?
CH: Bernhard and Company is a brand that we are immensely proud of. It speaks of trust, customer loyalty, and excellence. The Bernhard Academy therefore has a responsibility to align and support in everything that we do. The businesses are separate, but they share location, resources where applicable, and support each other both internally and externally.
Our distributor network and sales team are excited to feed back to the Academy and link their customer bases in for additional support. The Academy, in return, will ensure that internal customers are part of the DNA, by creating culture workshops for our teams, engaging with the entire Bernhard family and ensuring we are all aligned. While the Academy has to function as a standalone business, it does so while sharing the footprint of Bernhard and Company.
GBN: What are your views about the new education and training initiatives that have recently been announced in the industry?
CH: It’s exciting. Globally, we have had so much interest and so many conversations with various associations, colleges, universities, existing academies, and apprenticeship programmes. Partnerships are key and as a collective and we need to work closely to ensure our industry is provided with the best opportunities to develop.
As an industry, we have always been good at providing opportunities for education, be that from individual distributors or certain products, irrigation companies, fertiliser manufacturers, or equipment providers. But these are generally quite generic in nature, with an obvious opportunity to expose products to those attending, with the ultimate goal being for this to lead to a sale.
At the Bernhard Academy, none of what we will be delivering is sales driven. Our aim is to have competitors working alongside each other to educate and help everyone to become the best version of themselves. It’s really that simple.
GBN: You had one of the most highly regarded jobs in greenkeeping, so what was it about this role that motivated you to make the change?
CH: I’ve had a great career being a Golf Course Superintendent and Course Manager around the world. It has given me a unique perspective on the industry and its people. From the day I started as a greenkeeper at Fancourt in South Africa, I felt proud to be part of the team that was able to produce the quality golf course that we did, each and every day. I honestly can’t express the pride I felt and still do to this day.
Some stakeholders don’t truly appreciate and respect what we do, but my pure passion for showing others what we do, why we do it, and how we do it, has allowed me to be trusted and respected. I’m not scared to tell people what they don’t want to hear. I think it’s a key part of us gaining the trust and respect of others. Honest communication is key.
Taking that experience to an amazing organisation who are looking to truly make a difference and help this industry grow, with people who are as passionate as I am, and who align with the values I live by, made it easy for me to recognise that there was something unique and special to be achieved with the Bernhard Academy.
Leaving Gleneagles was never going to be an easy choice, especially when my relationship with the resort has been so good – in fact, it was one of the hardest decisions to make. Sitting down with my CEO, Director of Golf, Director of People, and Director of Agronomy & Estates, and having an honest conversation, whilst difficult, was enlightening and empowering in every sense. We have had a wonderful relationship which was always honest, open, and supportive. I have a lot to thank Gleneagles for as they have been a significant part of my personal development and journey so far.
GBN: What is the thing you are most excited for in your new position?
CH: I’m excited to make a difference. I’m excited for our industry, and for the opportunity to help in any way that we can as an Academy. I have been fortunate to be in this industry for 26 years and now have the unique opportunity to spend the rest of my career helping others to hopefully get the chance to do what I have loved doing throughout my entire career.
GBN: Craig Haldane, thank you very much.
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