Stories
Stories
In My Humble Opinion: Chip Brewer (MBA 1991)
Topics: Sports-GolfOperations-Product DevelopmentCareer-Managing CareersCompetency and Skills-Experience and Expertise
In My Humble Opinion: Chip Brewer (MBA 1991)
Topics: Sports-GolfOperations-Product DevelopmentCareer-Managing CareersCompetency and Skills-Experience and Expertise
In My Humble Opinion: Chip Brewer (MBA 1991)
(photo by Christina Gandolfo)
Perhaps not surprisingly, Oliver “Chip” Brewer III (MBA 1991) found his first job in golf while playing the game with a friend who happened to know the founder of Adams Golf. At the time, Brewer was working in the paper industry (his first job out of HBS found him cleaning sewers and servicing machinery as a mill foreman), but that on-course connection helped him land a position at Adams in 1998, where he rose to CEO in 2002. In 2012, Brewer was named president and CEO of Callaway Golf, maker of the famed Big Bertha driver and home to professional golfers Phil Mickelson, Henrick Stenson, and Lydia Ko. Under Brewer, Callaway’s US market share has increased 57 percent, a significant achievement as the number of active US players declines. “Melding the desire for a shorter format or more relaxed game with the classic golf experience will be an interesting challenge over the next few years,” says Brewer. He describes the mix of business and a sport he loves as “a great and fortunate combination.”
Putt-putt: “I don’t remember how old I was when I first picked up a club, which means I was probably 4 or 5. My dad taught me to play. By the time I was 12, I was hooked.”
Brain game: “Skulled, shanked, I’ve done it all. The beauty is I can usually block those shots out and forget about them. I’ve had some good times too. Once, when I was in high school, I made a 40-footer on the last hole to win the district championship.”
Favorite course: Pine Valley Golf Club. “It’s a course built on the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey. It’s entirely surrounded by sand, a geologically very special spot that creates a phenomenal test of golf in beautiful, natural surroundings.”
Closer to home: The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe. “It’s up in the hills northeast of San Diego and about 15 minutes from the beach...a very pretty course.”
R&D: “Callaway brought in some aerodynamicists from Boeing to consult with our team, which resulted in a little bit of a breakthrough on the XR 16 driver. It has a specific feature called a Speed Step that helps the air attach more to the crown of the driver and reduce drag during the swing.”
Sphere of influence: “The aerodynamics of a golf ball are even more complicated because you’re looking for the right amount of lift and drag. So there’s a balancing act, depending on the type of player you’re fitting.”
On par: “It’s true that millennials aren’t playing as much golf as previous generations, but it’s a discretionary and aspirational sport. If you segment that group based on income, the interest equals out.”
Say “fore” in Hindi: “The market in India is small but growing rapidly.” As the country’s middle class grows, so will its golfers. (Japan is Callaway’s largest market after the United States, followed by Europe.)
On Topgolf: “Callaway is a part-owner. You hit a ball that’s been microchipped to track accuracy and distance and score points for hitting a target in the outfield. And it turns out that if you play, there’s a high likelihood you’re going to try regular golf.”
Up-and-comer: Aaron Wise, who signed with Callaway after winning the NCAA individual and team championships for the University of Oregon.
Tee time: “I play every weekend, with a few exceptions, usually with one of my kids or my wife, who is just picking up the game now that we’re almost empty nesters. My youngest son just started beating me, which he enjoys with a lot of glee.”
Post a Comment
Related Stories
-
- 02 Nov 2013
- New York Times
As Bush Settles Into Dallas, Golf Tees and Family Time Now Trump Politics
Re: George Bush (MBA 1975) -
- 01 Oct 1997
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
J. Hughes Norton III
By: Garry Emmons
Stories Featuring Chip Brewer
-
- 29 Mar 2019
- San Diego Union-Tribune
Callaway Golf Takes a Swing at Outdoor Apparel
Re: Chip Brewer (MBA 1991)