NEWS8 October 2009
AUSTRALIA— The Leading Edge founder Derek Leddie is appearing on the latest series of The Secret Millionaire – a reality TV show in which wealthy people go undercover to live and work in impoverished neighbourhoods.
In the show, Leddie will be seen swapping his harbourside apartment in Sydney for a stay in Newcastle, an area two hours north of the city, where according to broadcaster Channel Nine he will deal with “issues of unemployment, homelessness and poverty” and the “influx of refugees” in the area.
The people Leddie meets will not be told he is a millionaire until the end of his stay, at which point he will donate hundreds of thousands of his own money to helping his chosen group, charity or individual.
Leddie set up research agency The Leading Edge in 1991 and sold it to marketing services group Photon for a reported Aus$15m in 2004. In 2006 he became chairman of Photon’s business intelligence group (later renamed the strategic intelligence group), a position he held until his departure from the business in September last year.