Armed with the alarming statistics of the poor state of employee health around the world, the Global Corporate Challenge® (GCC) was founded in 2004 in Melbourne, Australia by former Australian Olympic champion Herb Elliott, advertising executive Glenn Riseley and leading Australian nutritionist, Shane Bilsborough MSc (Human Nutrition).
They were concerned that as the world continued to get more complicated, people were losing their relationship with their bodies and the importance of exercise.
Entrepreneurial in their nature, Herb, Glenn and Shane decided that really making a difference meant not sitting around boardrooms talking about what could be done, or conducting countless studies on which approach to take.
Instead they did it themselves, creating a simple virtual health event which was easy to understand, focused on business and was above all else, fun to take part in. The result is a perfect amalgam of Shane's scientific expertise, Glenn's consumer behaviour, creative and commercial abilities, and Herb's wealth of experience and respect across the business and sport worlds.
A world-first corporate health initiative, Global Corporate Challenge® (GCC) is a unique program aimed at encouraging corporations to help their employees to get active and healthy. This is done via an annual four-month pedometer-based exercise event that encourages an overall increase in incidental exercise around and within the workplace.
With their own personal ongoing financial backing and nothing more than a belief in their idea, the founders established a organisation which now employs people across 4 continents, rolling out their program to over 75 countries and over 150,000 participants.
The GCC is a privately owned organisation which receives no government funding and which has reinvested its surplus into improving and growing the event each year. The GCC has been committed since its inception to investing heavily into the not-for-profit Heart Disease and Diabetes Prevention Centre, and funds their vital research with a commitment to ongoing study into disease treatment and prevention. The GCC also established and runs the Footprint Initiative® – a program connected to the GCC event that provides assistance to communities in need, all around the world through not for profit projects 'on the ground' and by providing financial support. This ensures that any and all donations made by participants in the event are directed in their entirety towards the projects with no erosion of funds by administration or bank fees. GCC covers all ancillary costs.
Herb Elliott, AC. MBE
GCC Chairman
An Australian sporting icon and an official Australian Living Treasure, Herb became the youngest athlete to break the four-minute mile in 1958. In 1960 at the Rome Games, he won the gold medal in the 1500m and broke his own world record. During his entire career, Herb was never beaten at the mile distance and is considered one of the greatest middle distance runners the world has ever seen.
A former CEO of Puma North America and Director of Athlete and Corporate Relations with the Australian Olympic Committee, Herb's post-athletic career has been similarly impressive. His recent directorships have included Ansell and he currently holds the Chairman position of the Telstra Foundation, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd and Global Corporate Challenge®.
Shane Bilsborough, MSc (Human Nutrition)
GCC Director
Shane is one of Australia's most sought after nutritionists. He has a Masters Degree in Human Nutrition from Deakin University, with major studies in fat metabolism, fat metabolism during exercise, and the impact of diet and exercise on chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Shane writes regularly in Australian press and magazines, appears on A Current Affair for expert opinion and commentary. In 2007, the Honourable Minister for Health Bronwyn Pike appointed him as the Ambassador for the Victorian Government's 'Go For Your Life' campaign.
Glenn Riseley
GCC Managing Director
In addition to heading up Global Corporate Challenge®, Glenn is founder of Australian advertising agency - Flash Group, one of Australia's fastest growing creative ad agencies. Along with John Hillier, the agency's creative head, they have lead the way in truly integrating traditional advertising thinking with cutting edge digital capabilities.
Having worked both on the client and agency sides of the fence across the UK, USA, Europe and Australia, Glenn's understanding of business is broad. He's always excited about great ideas, and knows exactly what it takes to actually bring them to life.
Glenn's commercial experience spans sport, electronics, public transport, I.T, healthcare, Human Resources, professional services, retail, hardware, travel, software, automotive, hardware, cosmetics and insurance. Along with a slightly unnerving ability to get excited about almost anything, he oversees the day to day running of Global Corporate Challenge and is responsible for its day to day global operations.
