SPOTLIGHT ON MATT SIMONOV

Your name, your club and your position.

Matt Simonov

General Manager

CSi Club Southport

Club Southport … affectionately known as “CSi”

What is your biggest or has been your biggest challenge with the club and your role?

Answer: Leading the club from a state of financial distress with somewhat of a negative stigma in the community and a poor employee culture, to a viable and celebrated leading community Club on the Gold Coast which is well recognized for great service and an outstanding Team of positive people.

What has been some of your achievements or highlights since being at the club?

Answer: Progressed through the ranks from a casual bar attendant, learning the do’s & don’ts of the industry.

This in time, led me to me being appointed into the role of General Manager when the Club transitioned from the previous Southport Workers Community Club to the New CSi Club Southport.

I was then promoted into a Group Operations Manager role for the HCS Management Group to support the Management of 7 venues in South East QLD which provided me with a wealth of experience over a 2.5 year period.

My passion and love for CSi and our local community has recently brought me back to help take the club reach new heights, post a recent multimillion dollar renovation.

Is there a piece of advice or something compelling you have learnt that you can pass on to our readers and up and coming managers.

Answer: It is important to always remember why we chose Club Management as our career of choice. Be passionate about your people, invest in your team & your members and they will in return invest in you, with trust, care and respect.

Outside of the club and your role there. Do you have any hobbies or passions.. tell us a bit about you?

Answer: Passionate Family focused father with 2 young children and a third one on the way. I love to get outdoors to enjoy some fishing and camping and look forward to making great memories with my family into the future.

Optional:

Do you have any claims to fame? Eg someone famous has visited the club, you served a celebrity? etc

Answer: Whilst not a celebrity, she is famous to us. We are a proud team here at CSi and we always love to share a story of one of our young professionals (named Jaimi). She has an amazing story to share in our industry, working her way up from her days of being a kitchenhand with limited opportunities some 10+ years ago to being one of our Amazing Senior Managers which has also been recognized in the Clubs QLD Hall of Fame for her triple acknowledgment of “Keno Coordinator of the Year”.