(Dallas) – Invited – The World Leader in Private Clubs^® – today announced that David Pillsbury will join the company as Chief Executive Officer effective June 1, 2018.

Pillsbury has held numerous leadership roles in the golf industry over the past 30 years. He started his golf career at American Golf Corporation (AGC) where he gained experience in all aspects of golf operations and ultimately became Co-CEO. At AGC, Pillsbury led multiple innovations including the formation of American Golf Country Clubs, the Private Club Member Platinum Program, the Nike Golf Learning Centers, centralized tee time reservations, and much more. After American Golf, Pillsbury became General Manager of Nike Golf, responsible for all US operations, marketing and sales.  Following Nike Golf, Pillsbury was President of PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties Tournament Players Clubs (TPC's), and he was then promoted to President of PGA TOUR Championship Management including THE PLAYERS, and EVP of PGA TOUR Tournament Business Affairs. In Pillsbury’s various leadership roles at the PGA TOUR he was always driven by his passion to leverage teams, technology, and improved processes for the ultimate benefit of the member, guest and fan. Most recently, he held CEO roles outside of golf in both the healthcare and consumer products industries.

“Dave has a keen understanding and appreciation for the traditions of the game of golf, is totally committed to enhancing member and guest experiences, and embraces contemporary thinking and technology,” said David Sambur, Invited’s Chairman of the Board. “Dave brings a unique skill set and perspective which he has gathered from being involved in multiple dimensions of the golf industry. We believe Dave’s experience and energy will be a strong catalyst for our ambitious plans to expand the Invited network and drive innovation and new products and services for the benefit of Invited’s members and guests.”

Pillsbury added, "I am thrilled to join Invited, the leading owner and operator of private clubs. The rich history and extensive capabilities of Invited combined with the support of a transformational sponsor like Apollo makes for an unparalleled platform to further enhance the lives of our members, guests and teammates."

Pillsbury received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley.

The company also announced Mark Burnett, President and COO, will be transitioning out after 12 successful years of leadership. Burnett served in multiple roles at Invited including EVP of Operations, COO and, for the past two years, President and COO. During Mark’s tenure, Invited experienced consecutive years of growth, significantly expanding the network of clubs and member services. Invited is grateful for Mark’s significant contributions.

“It has been an exciting time to lead the organization through the acquisition by the Apollo-managed funds and I am confident the company is well positioned for the future,” said Burnett. “It has been an honor to be a part of this team and I look forward to ensuring a successful transition to new leadership.”

“Mark has been instrumental in driving operational excellence at Invited. We appreciate his hard work and dedication and we thank him for all he has done for the company” said Sambur.

About Invited
Since its founding in 1957, Dallas-based Invited has operated with the central purpose of Building Relationships and Enriching Lives®. Invited is a leading owner-operator of private golf and country clubs and private business clubs in North America. Invited owns or operates a portfolio of over 200 golf and country clubs, business clubs, sports clubs, and alumni clubs in 27 states, the District of Columbia and two foreign countries that serve over 430,000 members, with approximately 20,000 peak-season employees. Invited properties include: Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio); Mission Hills Country Club (Rancho Mirage, California); The Woodlands Country Club (The Woodlands, Texas); Capital Club Beijing; and The Metropolitan in Chicago. You can find Invited on Facebook at facebook.com/Invited and on Twitter at @Invited.