Workplace Partners Against Domestic Violence

The Race

‘The Race’ is an exclusive competition where CEO’s, senior business executives and prominent community leaders compete against each other to promote awareness of domestic violence and its impact on the community – and while doing so raise funds to support the work of Australia’s CEO Challenge.

How it works

Racers will receive $1000 seed funding to kick off their six- month campaign.
Racers can use the time, resources and ideas of their team, staff and other stakeholders
Racers are free to choose any awareness and fundraising ideas, so long as they are ethical and legal!
Racers can call on the team at CEO Challenge and past Racers to get ideas and support.
Racers can use our fundraising website and create their own page for simple and affective online fundraising. Donations are tax deductible.
The Race kicks off during Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in May, and finishes on White Ribbon Day in November.

Is your boss up for the challenge? Ring us on 07 3119 6347 and nominate them for the challenge!

Last Year’s Racers

Professor William (Bill) John Lovegrove BA(Hons), PhD Qld, FAPS | Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Southern Queensland

Runner Up

2011 Race Winner | Paul Scurrah | CEO, Queensland Rail

Read all about their challenge

Meet our past racers…2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

2010 Race Winner | John Minz, CEO, Heritage Building Society

John has been a long-term advocate for action against family and domestic violence. As well as striving to be a role model through his profession and personal life. John has also taken steps to promote the cause on a wider scale through his activities as a White Ribbon Ambassador and a member of the Toowoomba Says No to Violence group.

John was supported by a committee of Heritage staff, together they developed a program of events and activities. These included internal communications, refuge relief, domestic support leave which enables staff to access up to 20 days paid leave per calendar year to seek refuge and support in instances of family violence (i.e. sexual, emotional, financial, verbal or emotional abuse by a partner or family member), White Ribbons distributed to 732 staff, White Ribbons were available for sale from all Branches, White Ribbon posters were distributed and displayed, Domestic Violence Awareness sessions were held for people managers across Heritage Building Society, all branch staff received a DV Connect quick reference card ’signs of abus’ and posters were placed in each of the branches in the staff breakout areas, a team of 10 Heritage riders entered the 2010 Brisbane to Gold Coast 100km Cycle Challenge wearing the Act as One message on their jerseys, John was the guest speaker at the Toowoombe Says No to Violence launch and was one of the panel of speakers invited to be part of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s President’s Forum breakfast, John negotiated with the editor of the Toowoomba Chronicle to run a series of monthly profiles about men and women who reject violence and strive to act as role models in their daily lives during the the CEO Challenge Race, John’s campaign will live on throughout Australia for years to come thanks to the White Ribbon Camellia initiative where one dollar from the sale of every plant is going to the White Ribbon Foundation, Blitz the Boss fun run challenge where Heritage employees got their chance to out-run the senior executives at the annual Doomben Half Marathon event in Brisbane and for every staff who beats them home Heritage made a donation, during the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers Heritage dedicated their display to zero tolerance for violence against women which was watched by 100,000 people, White Ribbons were made available to three locations during the Flower, Food & Wine Festival, John was interviewed live on the River 949 breakfast show and River 949 also develped several short Community Service Announcements which were played from time to time throughout the broadcast schedule. The staff head morning teas, casual dress days, supporters boards, pot plant of the year competition, fijji holiday raffle and toowoomba police fund-raising.

Runners up

Paul Scurrah, CEO, Queensland Rail
Bill Skipper, Senior Executive, Accenture

2009 Race Winner | Lance Hockridge, CEO, Queensland Rail

Lance challenged his staff and other CEOs to do their own fundraising as part of the Wake up and Walk to Say No to Domestic Violence between Newmarket Station and Roma Street. QR also adopted the transit awareness campaign ‘Signs of Abuse’ featured on trains and platforms.

Runners up

Deborah Wilson
Peter Hain, Manager, Client Development, GHD

2008 Race Winner | Jude Munro, Chief Executive Officer, Brisbane City Council

The “Signs of Abuse” campaign ran for over three months and was due to finish in December 2008; however, there were many buses that still featured the posters well into 2009. By cleverly using businesses to sponsor the campaign, Jude raised over $50,000. This was augmented by a wide range of internal fundraising activities across Council divisions including trivia nights, raffles, Melbourne Cup fundraiser, and a Sherry & Mocktails night (showing you can have a good time without alcohol).

Runners up

John Baird, Operating Centre Manager, GHD
Kay Giles, Institute Director of SkillsTech Australia
Patricia Hopkins, Queensland State Manager, Dimension Data
Michael Klug, Partner in Charge, Clayton Utz

2007 Race Winner | Kay Ganley, Chief Executive Officer, Charlton Brown

Runners up

Dr Lyndal Drennan, Director, MBA Studies, Graduate School of Business, Queensland University of Technology
Gordana Blazevic, Blaze Consulting
Dan Molloy, Managing Director, Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ)
Pat O’Dwyer, General Manager of Risk & Services, GHD Pty Ltd