Adam has a long history with Hollywood Bowl Group in the UK before coming to Canada to join Splitsville last year, and he took some time to share his career journey with us.
My journey in the bowling industry began at the age of 13 in the U.S.A, where I bowled in three leagues per week and maintained a respectable average of 208 over five years. Upon returning to the United Kingdom in 2008, I commenced my career as a Lane Mechanic in our AMF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire location, where I worked on AMF 82-70 pinspotters for two years before being promoted to MOS (Chief Technician), supporting a team of four. Following two years in this role and the purchase of Hollywood Bowl from Mitchells and Butlers, I transitioned to Assistant Manager at the same location and supported the centre through it's AMF to Hollywood Bowl refurbishment, and within a year of this role, I was successful in entering the 1st Center Manager in Training Program (CMIT), supported by endorsements from my Center Manager and Regional Support Manager.
After five months on the CMIT program, I seized the opportunity for a placement at our Bracknell, Berkshire center, followed by a transfer to Tolworth, Kingston. During my tenure, Hollywood Bowl acquired Bowlplex, and I supported the extensive $1 million refurbishment of the Oxford location to align it with Hollywood Bowl standards and decor. Subsequently, I relocated to Southampton, Hampshire, in 2018. Notably, our company emphasizes internal growth, evident in our management team, all of whom have progressed from our Assistant Manager in Training program and continue to hold progressive positions.
During my time in Southampton, my team achieved a perfect 100% audit score, and I was honored with the Centre Manager of the Year award for the first trading year post-COVID in FY22. This recognition led to an opportunity to advance my career in Canada, where I have spent the past 13 months in Calgary, assisting the Highfield team's successful transition from YYC Bowling to Splitsville, while also facilitating the integration of new operational standards across our Splitsville locations. I'm proud to have seen two of our team members advance to the AMIT program during this time and am excited for the opportunity to progress into a regional support position to further develop, mentor, and champion the top talent within the region and wider organization.
