BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - Jan 23, 2012) - Leading by example is one of the most effective ways senior leaders can show their workforce that they're committed to helping them lead healthy lifestyles. To demonstrate this, Virgin HealthMiles today kicked off the "Beat the Chief" challenge with one of its leading clients, Columbus, Indiana-based Cummins.
The "Beat the Chief" Challenge pits Virgin HealthMiles CEO, Chris Boyce, against Cummins' CEO, Tom Linebarger. The rules are simple: the executive who burns the most calories during a two-week period wins. The Challenge runs from January 23 through February 5. Boyce and Linebarger will use the HealthMiles program's tools to track their daily calorie burn and progress throughout the challenge. At the end of the two-week period, the CEO who burned the fewest calories will make a $1,000 donation to a charity of the winning CEO's choice.
"Our business is about making peoples' lives better by unleashing the Power of Cummins, and there is no better way to make lives better than through improved health," said Linebarger. "So I want to model a lifestyle that is committed to good health and help showcase the many resources that we offer to our employees and their families to help them stay healthy -- in this case, the Virgin HealthMiles program."
Virgin HealthMiles CEO Boyce couldn't agree more. "I believe it's critical for senior leaders to embody the behaviors they want their employees to emulate -- especially good health. Virgin HealthMiles has proven challenges like 'Beat the Chief' provide motivation for employees to increase their daily physical activity, the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, and stay engaged on their path to good health. I'm looking forward to some friendly competition with Tom in this important challenge... and I'm looking forward to winning!"
Challenge Extends to Employees
It's not just Boyce and Linebarger who will go head to head in the "Beat the Chief" challenge. Employees from both Virgin HealthMiles and Cummins (U.S. and U.K) will have the chance to join in on the challenge and see whether they can burn more calories and beat their respective CEOs. The employee from each company who burns the most calories by the end of the challenge will also receive a $1,000 donation to their charity of choice.
The winning CEO and the companies' top contenders in the "Beat the Chief" challenge will be announced on February 13, 2012. Learn more about the challenge at www.beatthechief.com and follow #beatthechiefs on Twitter throughout the challenge.
About Virgin HealthMiles
Virgin HealthMiles, part of Sir Richard Branson's famed Virgin Group, provides programs and technologies that engage your workforce in good health. We offer a range of solutions and program integration capabilities that help employers drive higher awareness and engagement, and better measurement and insight into the impact of all your employee health investments. Our Pay-for-Prevention™ programs, based on physical activity and healthy lifestyle change, attract an average of 50 percent of employees who participate, which helps organizations reduce medical costs and improve employee productivity and satisfaction. Over 130 industry leaders representing more than 700,000 employees across the U.S. have selected Virgin HealthMiles' award-winning programs for their employees. For more information, visit www.virginhealthmiles.com.
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