With investment about to be announced in new and better facilities at Wests Illawarra and other parts of the new Aster Group, there is plenty of interest in its chief executive officer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Danny Munk has 35 years' experience in the club industry and is very optimistic about its future.
Mr Munk believes clubs should keep investing to keep giving people what they want.
Expectations are higher than they have ever been and clubs are still seen as a place to socialise.
Those that thrive are the ones with great facilities, food, service and coffee.
The Aster Group manages and supports Wests Illawarra Unanderra, Corrimal Leagues Club, Port Kembla Golf Club and the Comfort Inn - Fairways next to the golf club at Primbee.
In total the group's property portfolio is worth $40 million and it employs 170 people.
Mr Munk was recruited because of his experience as a NSW club industry and group manager.
He said the advantage of a group was it increased capital, labour and brought more skill sets together. "One of the things about it is being more efficient in what you do," he said.
Mr Munk's previous roles included being chief executive of the Balmain Tigers Leagues Club and Guildford Leagues Club, and chief operating officer at the giant Panthers Group of 14 sites.
While working with Balmain, he was also responsible for the rugby league operations and oversaw the club's amalgamation with the Western Suburbs Magpies to form the Wests-Tigers.
In recent times, Mr Munk has run his own club industry consultancy company with clients in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and overseas.
The opportunity to launch the Aster Group arose when Wests Illawarra's previous chief executive Luke Walker left to join Crown Casino in Melbourne.
"Wests Illawarra is an organisation that puts the community first, and its financial support for community projects is well above legislative requirements," Mr Munk said.
"It has a chairman in Trevor Castle and a board of directors who are genuinely passionate about the club's role in this regard, and this passion and commitment extends to the staff."
The annual Wests Illawarra Wave FM Illawarra Youth Achievement Awards, now in their 16th year, and the annual gala fund-raising dinner for The Disability Trust Gala, formerly known as the Bandage Bear Benefit Night, were both described as examples of that club's community support.
The name Aster comes from the word star.
It was chosen because it is a name that is not commonly used and is about aiming high and excellence in everything the clubs in the group do.