Industry news
NZ GOLF CEO DEAN MURPHY WINS
COVETED NZ LEADERSHIP AWARD
N
ew Zealand Golf CEO, Dean
Murphy, was awarded the
C.K. Doig Leadership Award
during the annual New Zealand
Sport and Recreation Awards night
in Wellington last month.
Now in their 11th year, the awards
are organised and hosted by Sport
NZ to recognise and celebrate
excellence in New Zealand’s sport
and recreation sector.
It was an emotional accolade for
Mr Murphy, who had to travel to
Wellington on the night to receive
the honour which recognised outstanding
leadership by an executive sport and
recreation leader.
“Its really humbling to see the people who
have stood before me and held this award,”
Mr Murphy told the NZ Herald.
“I really love what we do and I really love the
organisation I work for.
“Its been quite a ride and our sport in
particular has grown so much and there’s still
so much to do and I’m quite enthused for the
future, but right now I think this is an award
for the board, all the staff that aren’t here
and our organisation.”
Starting his career at New Zealand Golf as
the Commercial Manager in 2007, Murphy
later spent a year as the acting CEO before
officially taking up the role in 2010.
In recent times Murpy has initiated several
project which came to fruition last year
including the Golf Sector Plan for Auckland,
8
the Casual Golf initiative, plus the Love Golf
and She Loves Golf campaigns.
“It’s vital that we recognise the work and
people that support and encourage New
Zealanders to be physically active and to
win on the world stage, and for me this is a
highlight of the year,” says Sport NZ Chief
Executive Peter Miskimmin.
“In Dean we have a superb leader, but what
sets him apart is not what he has done, but
more how he has led. He is an extremely
good listener and an empathetic friend.
People warm to him and believe in him.”
In the past eight years, Murphy has led
the organisation from strength to strength
overseeing a new community-focused
approach in the sector, employing several
Sector Support Managers around the
country.
Earlier winners of the Award include well-
known names such as Steve Tew from New
Zealand Rugby and Keryn Smith of the New
Zealand Olympic Committee.
The Golf Marketing Professionals I www.golfindustrycentral.com.au