Iain Burns describes three main phases of his career: the PGA, Marriott, and Little Aston. In the PGA, he learned tournament management, golf course setup, rules, refereeing, and how to deal with people at many levels, from local tradespeople to business executives and sponsors. He also valued the relationships he built in golf.

At Marriott, he wanted commercial experience and learned about crisis management during foot-and-mouth and 9/11, as well as revenue management, sales strategy, retail, and financial control. He says the move was an eye-opener and gave him skills he later used in club management.

At Little Aston, he combines lessons from both earlier roles. He says that unlike Marriott, there is no large support structure, so the club manager must cover maintenance, sales, HR, and other functions. He also says managing members is different from managing hotel customers because members are repeat users who expect access and consistency.

Burns explains that the club manager serves the members first, but also the team, committee, and club as a whole. He sees his role as both leadership and service, while also being able to challenge committee decisions when necessary. He says the committee structure at Little Aston provides continuity, which helps long-term planning.

He says being a member before becoming manager helped him understand the club and its people. He believes members support the club and want it to succeed, and he thinks a modern club manager’s role is not always fully understood outside the club.

On strategy and investment, he says Little Aston has completed major clubhouse improvements, including changing rooms and the shop and reception area, and is now looking at longer-term golf course projects such as reservoirs, water harvesting, practice facilities, bunker work, drainage, and tree management. He says the club uses surveys and member feedback to guide decisions.

Burns says the club should protect its small, traditional membership structure and invitation process, while still being flexible where needed, such as visitor dress code. He says the female membership is active and well served, and he is proud that the club has modernized while keeping its ethos and traditions.