Echelon's CEO Offered 'Fame and Philanthropy' Deal
London (UK), June 2009 - Alistair Morrison, CEO of the organisation development consultancy Echelon Learning, was recently invited to take part in the fourth series of the reality TV show 'The Secret Millionaire'. Each programme features a millionaire, who goes incognito into impoverished communities to give away tens of thousands of pounds of their own money. Created in 2006 by Stephen Lambert, the programmes are produced in the UK by RDF Media and are screened on Channel 4.
Each week, a millionaire leaves her or his luxury life behind, takes on a secret identity, and lives undercover in a deprived area of the UK for a week to ten days. Living on a limited budget with no modern conveniences, the person must work and volunteer alongside local people and find individuals and projects that deserve a share of the millionaire's fortune.
On the final day, the millionaires reveal their true identity to the people they have chosen, surprising them with gifts of money to improve their lives. As well as highlighting the positive financial and emotional impact of modern-day philanthropy, the programme draws attention to some of Britain's social problems, tackling such issues as gang culture, gun crime, disability, and homelessness.
Unfortunately, as it later emerged, the programme makers had spotted some of Echelon's PR-inspired press clippings, but they were actually looking for a different Alistair Morrison.
There's a chartered surveyor/estate agent in Newark, a member of the Department of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow, and an award-winning fashion photographer - among others - who share the same name as Echelon's CRO.
As a result of the mix up, Echelon's Alistair Morrison will be keeping his fortune safe until another opportunity for televised fame-and-philanthropy appears.
