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Spirit of Wipro Run 2014 held in 110 cities globally with over 63 000 participants

Possibly the world's largest employee engagement initiative.


Johannesburg, 08 Oct 2014
Monetary donation to a local South African Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Monetary donation to a local South African Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

Wipro (NYSE:WIT), a leading global IT, consulting and business process services company, organised the ninth edition of the 'Spirit of Wipro Run', an annual global initiative to celebrate the true spirit of Wipro, with thousands of employees, their families, friends, customers, analysts and suppliers running together on the same day at different locations across the world.

The central theme of this year's event - For the Long Run - underscores marathons as a test of endurance, dedication and commitment.

Commenting on the run, TK Kurien, Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board, Wipro, said: "Marathons celebrate the triumph of human spirit and instil in us the ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. Grit, stamina and determination are key business attributes, all of which are essential for a marathoner. Over 63 000 runners, including employees, customers, families, friends and other stakeholders participated in our ninth edition, bearing testimony to the resounding success of this year's run."

Saurabh Govil, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, Wipro, said: "The Spirit of Wipro Run is possibly one of the world's largest employee engagement initiatives, driven and owned by employees themselves. It is a prime example of a mammoth collaborative effort, drawing on the ideas and experience of individuals across the globe and bringing with it a strong bond of togetherness."

As in the previous years, the run supports local causes identified by Wipro Siyapha, the community initiatives arm of Wipro South Africa. This year's run will also see an active community engagement programme, along with various NGOs on a global scale.

Winners of the corporate relay run.
Winners of the corporate relay run.

Shailendra Singh, Business Director for the Africa Region, Wipro, said: "The Spirit of Wipro Run exemplifies the idea of endurance in personal and corporate life. We believe that planning for the long run is an important and responsible life and business skill. This requires hard work, proactiveness, foresight, attributes that everyone should proudly possess, share and promote. It is a special day for us as this run reaches employees, customers, families, friends and all stakeholders in South Africa."

Close to 700 Wipro employees, people from client organisations, friends and families joined this global initiative on 20 September, in Johannesburg, at the James Ethel & Grey Park.

Lorraine Cockrell, Founder of The Slovo Centre of Excellence (SCE), said: "We are most grateful and appreciative to link with Wipro and to receive such a generous donation of R100 000 towards the SCE operational budget that will see us through for the last quarter of 2014. This will make it possible for the centre to continue the outreach work being done for our beneficiaries, who come from the informal settlement of Slovo Park, Coronationville, Johannesburg. Their enablement certainly is our empowerment to 'keep going' - together we make a difference in the lives of those most vulnerable."

The Spirit of Wipro runners at the start line.
The Spirit of Wipro runners at the start line.

She also added: "Our beneficiaries are from the OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) sector who attend the programmes we offer on a daily basis. The core need identified is to offer the beneficiaries holistic programmes that will ensure their physical, social, and spiritual well-being. Every day, a warm cooked meal is served, and constructive educational support along with opportunities to have fun and games are provided to children through programmes that we run. The programme helps children learn concepts in English, maths and science. There are 150 children registered with the SCE, ranging from ages two to 17 years. Our beneficiaries love to come to the SCE's After School Care programme, albeit attendance fluctuates. We want to thank Wipro for their support and to make it possible for us to continue with the important work we do with these children."

"The Spirit of Wipro Run aligns directly with our objective of fostering inclusivity and making deep and meaningful contribution to local communities. Over the years, the run has come to demonstrate the social conscience of the company and empowers its participants to become catalysts of change, through its association with various community initiatives," noted Anurag Behar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Wipro.

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Wipro (NYSE:WIT) is a leading IT, consulting and business process services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients to do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360-degree view of "business through technology" - helping clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognised globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, a practitioner's approach to delivering innovation, and an organisation-wide commitment to sustainability, Wipro has a workforce of over 140 000, serving clients in 175+ cities across six continents. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com.

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Olwin Kleve
Wipro Limited
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Wipro Limited
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