Hilary Fordwich: Business Golf Expert
“Executives and professionals who aren’t golfing are giving up a hugely powerful career advancing tool.” – Hilary Fordwich, President of Strelmark
Hilary Fordwich, the former head of business development at KPMG and other global firms, knows first-hand the importance golf in growing business careers. For executives, and those on the ladder moving up, golf is a valuable and usually under-leveraged asset. For business owners, likewise, business golf is key to winning new contracts and clients.
A 9-handicap golfer who competed in the U.S. Women’s Southern Amateur and has won three Club Championships, Hilary is a business golf expert and has been hired to speak at corporate events that feature her unique combination of business expertise and golf experience. What results is an engaging and inspirational session for executives on how to gain and retain clients via golf.
Hilary is a National Golf Course Rater for GolfWeek.
Hilary has served as a regular commentator on ABC News Channel 8’s, Capital Golf Weekly and on the Washington Post’s Metro-Talk. She is a featured speaker for Women on Course and also lectured and helped design the curriculum for the University of Maryland’s “Golf for Business and Life” program, a PGA sponsored 3-credit course offered to graduate business students. Read what clients are saying about Hilary’s Business Golf programs.
Strelmark Programs
BUSINESS GOLF 101
Audience: New or Novice Golfers
These sessions demonstrate that golf is one of the most powerful business development and career advancing tools. Golf is the great equalizer, leveling the playing field, bringing in new business and creating alliances to deepen existing client relationships.
Takeaways include:
- How to leverage to gain and retain clients
- How to balance golf and family while winning clients
- “Playing” career advantages
- The Great Equalizer: Empowering women
- Hosting tournaments and maximizing sponsorships
BUSINESS GOLF BLUNDERS
Audience: Avid Golfers
Unlike any other sport, golf provides an unparalleled opportunity to establish trust with prospects, clients, and colleagues. It has become the sport of choice for many Fortune 500 executives. Yet business golf can actually be detrimental if not properly planned and played.
Geared to those who want to better leverage their golf game for business gain, this course includes:
- 18 blunders to avoid
- How to effectively leverage golf tournament sponsorships
- How to strategically plan out a golf season of business golf
- #1 way to gain likeability and trust on the golf course
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE GREEN
The game of golf is the perfect
metaphor for leadership. Whether on the course or in the office, being your best requires: the qualities of focus, consistency, team play, confidence, and positive thinking under pressure—not to mention passion. Geared to golf enthusiasts on the rise in business, Hilary provides ground rules for linking the lessons of the green to the business arena.
DIVERSITY & GOLF: THE GREAT EQUALIZER
Golf has gone global just like the corporations people work for and is now played in 184 nations and territories around the world. Whether you’re playing on your own or on foreign turf, this presentation addresses questions such as: Are golf rules and etiquette the same internationally—if not, where do they diverge? What factors should I consider when putting together a foursome to play? By thinking ahead about the cultural and global background of your group, you can avoid making insensitive—or even unforgivable—moves.
STAYING ON COURSE: FLAWLESSLY EXECUTING A CORPORATE GOLF OUTING
There are few better ways to
appreciate employees, court clients, or fundraise for a favorite cause than a golf outing. But failing to adequately strategize and prepare can wreck your best business intentions. In this presentation you’ll learn how to set a budget; put together an event plan and an organizing committee, think up creative ways to play the course, brand your event, find sponsors and secure door prizes or other giveaways.
WHERE THERE’S GOLF, THERE’S GROWTH
Getting Real About What Will Truly Drive Business
What are the trends and growth opportunities in the golf industry today? This presentation challenges par-for-the-course thinking and is designed to inspire golf professionals in general management, operations, retail merchandising, marketing and promotions, instruction and tournament production. Hilary delivers tangible and tactical approaches that will invigorate the business of golf by showing how to appeal to existing customers (as well as non-golfing Americans 82% of our population) and plan for the changing demographic patterns of American society if the game is to continue growing. Content also includes building customer loyalty and satisfaction, increasing utilization rates, upgrading amenities to meet modern expectations, differentiating the facility, and creating a media presence.
WHAT OUR BUSINESS GOLF PARTNERS SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH STRELMARK
“I have worked in the golf business for 13 years as a PGA Golf Professional. Over the years I have attended many seminars pertaining to the game an “I have worked in the golf business for 13 years as a PGA Golf Professional, most recently overseeing all levels of the business and all facets of golf as First Assistant Golf Professional with
Congressional Country Club and current Head Golf Professional with Rehoboth Beach Country Club. Over the years I have attended many seminars pertaining to the game and business of golf, but I never envisioned the relationship between the business world and the golf world and how they interface. Hilary invited me to attend one of her seminars pertaining to Business Golf. I thought the concept was intriguing, wanting to learn more.
Hilary’s Business Golf session was exceptionally interesting and informative. It was not long into her presentation that it became obvious, she is not only a very accomplished amateur golfer, but is also very successful in the business world. She used her expertise and experience to relate her information to her audience. She captivated every member of the audience. I have to admit part way through her presentation, I found myself taking notes on her talk. Working for so many years in the golf business, I thought I had heard everything about golf, but her presentation was new, refreshing and very informative. She opened up new horizons. She was also recently a panelist at a PGA Sponsored event and was far and away the best they offered.” – Charlie Schuyler, PGA, Head Golf Professional, Rehoboth Beach Country Club
WORK WITH HILARY
If your organization is interested in having Hilary speak at an upcoming event, please contact us.
Many years ago I heard Hilary’s ‘Business Golf’ presentation. It was not only exceptionally good with excellent insights and tangible suggestions for how to leverage golf to further business but it was memorable and so powerful that it was the catalyst for me, as a non-golfer at that time, to enter the golf industry. If it wasn’t for hearing Hilary I wouldn’t be where I am today. Additionally she inspired me to get my young daughter into golf, she is now playing on her college team as a result.
Susan Smith Feaster,
Chief Executive Officer, Ryder Cup France, US Partners
I have worked in the golf business for 13 years as a PGA Golf Professional, most recently overseeing all levels of the business and all facets of golf as First Assistant Golf Professional with Congressional Country Club and current Head Golf Professional with Rehoboth Beach Country Club. Hilary’s Business Golf session was exceptionally interesting and informative. It was not long into her presentation that it became obvious, she is not only a very accomplished amateur golfer, but is also very successful in the business world. She used her expertise and experience to relate her information to her audience. She captivated every member of the audience. I have to admit part way through her presentation, I found myself taking notes on her talk. Working for so many years in the golf business, I thought I had heard everything about golf, but her presentation was new, refreshing and very informative. She opened up new horizons. She was also recently a panelist at a PGA Sponsored event and was far and away the best they offered.
Charlie Schuyler,
PGA, Head Golf Professional, Rehobeth Beach Country Club
Hilary’s Business Golf presentation was not only insightful and informed, it was enjoyable. She readily offers her golf and business leadership experience with enough brevity to keep everyone’s attention. Hilary recognized that her audience would be diverse, and thus challenging to a speaker, but managed to hold the group’s attention and inspire an array of conference attendees. I hope to have her share her expertise further.
William Mundy,
Senior Vice President, Cardinal Bank
Our business is dedicated to individual sales service. We chose Hilary because we realized the importance of mixing business and golf and doing it correctly. Hilary provided the tool of a golf setting having revenue for clients while still having fun. Hilary’s seminar was beneficial because it resonated golf at all levels, the novice golfer, intermediate and the seasoned golfer. She hit on all levels — everyone felt they got something out of her presentation, especially as it pertains to business and golf. I recommend Hilary to any association. Her presentation was dynamic and left everyone energized. She hit on all levels.
Bryan Lambert,
President, United Sales Professionals of America