“S’pore may be hotter in 2024 than 2023 due to lingering effects of El Nino,” read the headlines of The Straits Times’ March article. The team felt it as we walked into the Club on a searing hot day in late October for the interview and outdoor shoot with the Club’s new General Manager. Nick McLaughlin, at the time of the interview, was about six weeks into the position.
Born in Vancouver, Canada, Nick spent a good part of his career in Australia, but specifically in the regional mountain area of New South Wales, at a ski resort. “It was not everyone’s vision of sun, sea and surf, like a lot of people think Australia is,” he laughs. From wintry scapes to the very sunny shores of Singapore and into a three-hour outdoor shoot is a huge ask. Unfazed, he obliges the camera crew’s whims with a smile on his face—which was turning redder by the minute.
His easygoing persona is the perfect fit for the luxe laid-back ambience of the Club.
Nick knew very early on in his life that hospitality was where he wanted to be. This was despite having no precedent in the family: His dad was a commercial banker; mum, an accountant; his younger brother, a paediatrician; and older brother, a financial controller—“basically, an accountant on steroids.”
“It was probably some middle-child syndrome that I wanted to do something entirely different,” laughs Nick, adding, “To be honest, I just like talking to people and connecting with people, whether it is at the Club or when they come to our house— I want to make sure they have a great time. To me, it’s about anticipating people’s needs.”
He started out at a cafe in his hometown before graduating to bars when he was of the legal age to serve alcohol. “À la Tom Cruise in Cocktail, but never got to work in Jamaica, unfortunately,” he says. In 2008, a job opportunity with a large hospitality company came up, and he jumped at the opportunity—the upcoming Winter Olympics in 2010 was another big draw. “It was a lot of really long hard hours,” Nick recalls, but he gained a mentor in his boss.
In 2011, he set off to Australia. One could say that his innate foresight to identify the right career opportunities took him to many levels, literally. He started first in the Sydney area, then moved to a ski resort high up in Thredbo in New South Wales and then on to Port Macquarie by the coast. His tenure at the latter landed him in the midst of a 20-million-dollar expansion—which was supposed to have been ready for relaunch by the time he came on board, but took a good five months more.
“We were leading into Christmas, which is a busy time, of course, in Australia, and they were still under construction and jackhammering. I was thrown right into the fire there. I remember spending my first couple of weeks just apologising to the guests,” says Nick. “It was character-building to go through something like that.”
This would not be the last time he was thrown in the midst of either a complete revamp or rebranding exercise—“steep learning curves in a short amount of time”, as he explains “You could say that there’s been continual change; there’s always been challenges in each of my roles, which has kept it fun and engaging. It has been exciting,” he says with resolute optimism.
Early 2020 saw him back at the ski resort in Thredbo. COVID-19 soon brought operations down to a bare minimum, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Aside from being a “a nice place to spend a pandemic”, it was also the time that Nick met his wife Susanna, an Educational Technology Consultant, and their son Harvey was born.
The family moved to Singapore in March this year as Susanna got a job opportunity here, and Nick took on a new role, probably his most challenging one yet and the most character-building: Being a stay-at-home dad to Harvey for almost three months.
“I was lucky to have that opportunity to watch him grow up, from 10 months to now—he is 18 months old now. To get the privilege of seeing that and helping guide this young person was amazing. I don’t think a lot of parents get that in this busy, professional world,” gushes Nick.
He also took the time to finish his Masters of Business Administration online through Southern Cross University, Australia University.
Being at a marina club is also a first for Nick, but he hopes his varied experience in rebranding and building businesses—in some places from the ground up—will hold him in good stead.
“I have been having a series of discussions and conversations with the team and it’s been interesting, because there are some really creative people here. They have been coming up with some really great ideas.” This speaks to Nick, who is game to trying out new things. “As long as it makes commercial sense, it’s safe and in line with the brand and what we are. I think we’re here to try,” he says. “I believe that just being open to creativity and engagement will create a big impact.”
Then, there’s the positive feedback on the service staff from Members. “That’s usually the first thing that comes out of their mouths—that the staff here is great, the team is great,” he smiles. “Having that already flourishing culture foundation is great for me to come into.” He is raring to get this well-oiled wheel to continue spinning efficiently.
“I think that’s kudos to Jonathan, who was in my position for the last four years, and even before that, having spent 10 years here, he’s been exposed to every department. He has done a phenomenal job,” he says, lavishing generous praise on Jonathan Sit, who has since moved to the head office to take on a regional role. “They are really big shoes to fill.”
He need not have been concerned. That his initial long handover was cut short by Jonathan to a weekand-a-half speaks volumes of his capabilities. “I am just going to give it my all,” says Nick, in earnest.
He has since been in charge of overseeing the ambitious revamp of LATITUDE Bistro—which, at the time of print, reopened as Latitude Restaurant & Terrace. Nick perceives it as a perfect opportunity—“a big change for the Members with a new face of the property as well”.
Nick’s first few weeks at the Club have been spent in several rounds of meetings with the team on budgets and other business matters. It has helped him get a good overview of things and strategise business growth in certain areas. “I don’t like being bogged down with meetings all day,” he adds quickly. “I think I should be out engaging with Members, talking to them, getting feedback, and seeing how we can improve things.” Watching his interactions with people through the shoot and around the Club, we can vouch for that approach to his work.
The original article was published on the January/ February 25 issue of Longitude, ONE°15 Marina’s Club magazine. Read it here.
