Michael Mally – General Manager and CAO of The Carriage Club

Michael Mally is the general manager and CAO of The Carriage Club, one of the most respected country clubs in the Kansas City area. A longtime veteran of the private club industry, Michael is able to draw on 20-plus years of management experience to guide his decisions while overseeing the day-to-day operations of a club featuring a wide range of premier services and facilities. Michael holds a degree in business administration earned from the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business and has long been actively involved in the Mid-America Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA).

What are your favorite books?

I’m an avid golfer, so I’ve had a copy of “Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book” for as long as I can remember. As someone who deeply appreciates contemporary American literature, I found myself moved to a fairly significant degree by Ken Kesey’s “Sometimes a Great Notion.”

What’s your favorite film?

“The Best Years of Our Lives” is by far my favorite film. In my opinion, it is a great telling of the effects of war, not only on the men who served and fought, but also on their family members and friends when they returned home.

What are your aspirations in life?

It’s really important to me to foster a greater sense of kinship among people wherever I go, regardless of whether that has to do with my professional responsibilities or not. As a general manager and CAO of a country club, of course, it is absolutely critical that I am able to foster a real sense of community among our members.

What’s your favorite thing about working in your industry?

I get to see our members on such a frequent basis that I have a wonderful opportunity to really get to know them on a personal level. It’s a very rewarding field in that way, and I deeply value the fact that I work in a position that makes this possible.

What was your first job?

My first paying job was babysitting for 4 young boys when I was 13. However, I began my hospitality career as a ware washer in the restaurant owned by a great friend of my father’s. There I had the opportunity to learn under a very good manager, a great chef, and many team members who knew what it took their responsibilities seriously and made sure the customers where taken care of, and left happy.