IT leaders to raise funds for Sport Relief

Chief executives to compete in sporting challenges this year

Some 14 CEOs from IT companies – including Kelway's Phil Doye, Computacenter's Neil Muller, Touchbase's Mike Danson, Monetise's Alastair Lukies and 2e2's Terry Burt – will join sportspeople and representatives from a range of charities to raise funds for Sport Relief this year by taking part in various sporting challenges, such as the Blenheim Triathlon in June.

Each member of the contingent is hoping to raise between £10,000 and £25,000, according to a press statement from Cisco, which is sending CEO Phil Smith.

"Sport Relief is an amazing campaign and the money raised goes to funding projects in the UK and the world's poorest countries," said Smith. "This a great opportunity for us to get involved and give something back, something I am particularly passionate about following my visit last year to a project in Malawi supported by the charity.

"Of course, it's also a great opportunity for us to put our bodies on the line and see who is the fastest and the fittest."

Kevin Cahill, CEO of Sport Relief organiser Comic Relief, said: "We are delighted with the support being shown from those at the very top of business.

"Clearly, we hope the competitive edge they show in the boardroom will rub off in the sporting arena and when fundraising."

Contributions can be made via http://www.sportrelief.com/leaderboard

The Leaderboard Challenge 2012 competitors are:
Austin Healey – former British Lion
Roger Black – former Olympic sprinter
Kevin Cahill – Comic Relief (pictured, sixth from left)
Phil Smith – Cisco (first on left)
Stephen Leonard – IBM
Terry Watts – Proskills (seventh from left)
Peter Searle – Adecco
Mark Kenealy – Orange
Steve Cooper – Barclays
Phil Doye – Kelway (fourth from left)
Mick Buckley – MB Communications
John May – The Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan – Equilibrium Solutions & Capio Nightingale Hospital (fifth from left)
Glen Manchester – Thunderhead
Val Feerick – Four6One
David Callaghan – Oracle
Paul Budge – Bunzl
Neil Muller – Computacenter
Stephen Bates – RIM
Neil Davis – Lookers
Tim Reddish – Paralympics GB
Ed Bracher – Riding for the Disabled
Neil Pemberton – BTiNet
Joe Cerrell – Gates Foundation
Marc Jantzen – Blue Sky Performance Improvement (third from left)
Mike Danson – Touchbase
Terry Burt – 2E2
Alastair Lukies – Monitise Group
James Kelly – Lorien Resourcing (second from left)
Steve Ingham – Michael Page International
Matthew Piercy – VMware