Our Business
Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler, Managing Director of ISM, outlines his unique management philosophy, drawn from his own experience as a European Tour professional and MD of ISM, which has helped make the company the success it is today.
Golf
Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler, Managing Director of ISM
For a player embarking on a career on the world’s fairways, it is a minefield. There are more mistakes to be made, not all of them on the golf course, than can possibly be imagined.
I had 15 years of it and believe me, I made all the mistakes - at least twice. I’d been known by some on the Tour as the man to go to for help with a cheap flight, a bargain hotel or even the best route to the next tournament. This experience certainly helped me in my decision to start a management company. Through making mistakes, I know the pitfalls to be wary of and it is now my job to help others to avoid them. By smoothing out the administrative, marketing and logistical difficulties for a player, he can concentrate 100% on his game without outside worries. It sounds simple, but I feel it is essential if he is to be successful.
Golf on tour is a job and it must be treated as a job. There is no way that, faced with the amount of travel that is involved nowadays and the amount of practice that is essential just to stay on the Tour, that a player who, almost by definition, is not a business administrator, marketer or salesman, can keep his affairs in order or promote himself. Worrying about a tax return, hotel room or flight ticket is not helpful when you should be concentrating on your game.
The quality of player in the International Sports Management stable and results they regularly achieve shows our philosophy is right for them. When I started the firm we were a small family with four players. We have grown but I don't want to lose the feeling of being a family. It is how the company has always been and still continues to work nicely.
Cricket
Neil Fairbrother, Director of Cricket
Neil joined ISM as its Director of Cricket when he retired from the first class game at the end of 2002, since when he has guided the careers of some of the finest cricketers in the world including Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Michael Vaughan. He is now advising and encouraging a new group of emerging talents including Craig Kieswetter and Ajmal Shahzad, who have both made their England debuts in the last 12 months, while he has high hopes for Jos Buttler and James Vince.
Fairbrother's experience during 21 years as a county and international cricketer has been invaluable in his ISM role. During his playing career, he averaged over 40 for Lancashire and came close to completing a half-century of hundreds. Although he played 10 times for England's Test team he is best remembered at international level for his outstanding contribution to the one-day side. He scored more than 2,000 runs at an average of 39.47, establishing himself as one of the world's greatest limited over specialists as batsman and fielder.
Football
Tom Brookes, Head of Football
Tom joined ISM from an Australian based sports management company in March 2009. Previously, Tom represented Sheffield United and FC Twente at youth level before his professional playing aspirations were cut short through a serious ankle injury. Whilst continuing to play at semi-professional level, Tom went on to study Business and joined Management Training Consultancy AMT International in 1994.
In 1999, Tom joined a leading UK private healthcare provider where he worked as a Management Consultant for six years. Tom is a FIFA accredited Licensed Agent through the English Football Association and works with players and clubs throughout Europe, Australia, Middle East and South America.
ISM Scotland - Commercial/Snooker
Ricky Cowan
Ricky joined ISM in May 2011, and has a huge interest in golf and rugby. He plays to a handicap of five and is a member of Muirfield, the R+A and the Golf House Club, Elie all in Scotland. He spent 18 years of his life playing rugby for Watsonians, one of the oldest Clubs in Scotland.
Ricky and his team will expand the snooker division of ISM furthermore after successfully managing the commercial interests of Sir Chris Hoy, amongst others, for five years and they are looking to grow the commercial opportunities available to all ISM clients.
ISM India
Neeraj Sareen
Neeraj Sareen, a former leading junior and amateur golfer in India, has been obsessed with golf and sport in general since he can remember. A close school friend of Indian professional golfer Shiv Kapur, Neeraj studied in Modern School, New Delhi before taking up a scholarship at the University of Michigan in the United States. He played a high standard of college golf in the US and on his return to India, considered a professional career in the game. In the final analysis, however, he decided to follow a business route and having worked briefly with the Professional Golf Tour of India (“PGTI”) and a number of local sports management companies, he founded his own company, Sports Mantra, in 2003 to conduct golf events and manage Indian golfers.
Sports Mantra broadened its expertise into a wider range of golfing activities and other areas of sports marketing, facility design and endorsement and event delivery. The client list now boasts a number of high profile names including Kapil Dev, Nick Faldo and Faldo Design, Manchester City Football Club, Lavasa and BMW India. As a Player Manager, he represents India’s No 1 golfer, Jeev Milkha Singh, together with current European Tour players, Shiv Kapur and SSP Chowrasia. Also prominent in the Sports Mantra list of managed players are Anirban Lahiri - the 2009 PGTI Order of Merit winner; Sharmila Nicollet – winner of the 2009/10 Women’s Golf Association of India Tour Order of Merit; and C Muniyappa, winner of the 2009 Hero Honda Indian Open.