Hult Global Case Challenge Names Howard McNally, Former AT&T Executive, as Chief Executive Officer to Increase Focus on Innovation

BOSTON, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Hult Global Case Challenge (Hult GCC), which brings together college and university students from around the world to help solve critical social challenges, today named Howard McNally as its Chief Executive Officer.

Hult GCC said McNally, a former Chief Operating Officer of AT&T’s $25 billion consumer business, would begin work immediately to bring a new level of discipline and world-class management to the organization as the group looks to scale.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) partner and commitment maker also said it would transition immediately to 501(c)(3) status, to enable more thought-leaders and innovators to lend their expertise in creating innovative breakthroughs.

“I’m delighted to be joining an organization that has worked so tirelessly to address some of the world’s most critical social issues – and that does so in a way that solicits innovation and fresh ideas from tomorrow’s global leaders,” said McNally, who spent 25 years as an executive leading thousands of AT&T employees during times of great change and transformation in the telecommunications industry. “Hult GCC’s past successes offer a wonderful base upon which to build, and I look forward to leading and teaming up with the people who have done so much to make the Hult Global Case Challenge what it is today.”

McNally singled out Hult GCC founder and Chief Operating Officer, Ahmad Ashkar for his work creating and building Hult GCC into one of the world’s largest open innovation platforms and his dedication to establishing a global collaborative of young innovators and social entrepreneurs who are committed to change.

The Hult GCC is the world’s largest and most internationally acclaimed case competition featuring thousands of students competing from over 100 countries and a coveted 1 million USD prize. Hult GCC’s mission is to develop innovative implementation solutions to some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, and encouraging breakthrough ideas from college and university students around the world. The group focuses not only on the stimulation of breakthrough ideas but rather emphasizes the creation of real-world implementation solutions and honors the creators of the winning concepts with 1 million USD in funding to bring their ideas to reality.

“In today’s world, there are plenty of issues upon which to focus and even more ideas on how to solve them,” said McNally. “Our goal is to encourage the young people of the world today to focus on those most critical, and provide them with a platform that fosters innovations and a model that converts a good idea to a scalable implementation pilot that can truly bring change.”

Hult GCC initiatives over the years have drawn interest from companies across diverse geographies and industries, as well as, non-profit organizations and entrepreneurs, increasing operational efficiency and financial results. This year, Hult GCC has selected global poverty as its underlying challenge area and is stimulating focus on those areas, which it believes are pillars to poverty: affordable educational tools and devices, the use of solar energy to help reduce global poverty and climate change, and simple and affordable housing. It is their belief that collectively, implementation solutions around all three pillars can lead to a disruption in the vicious cycle of poverty.

In its third year, Hult GCC continues its partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and this year will partner with three other CGI non-profit organizations: One Laptop per Child, SolarAid and Habitat for Humanity .

Regional events are scheduled to be held in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai on February 25, 2012. At that time, regional winners from each poverty track will be announced and awarded an all-expense-paid trip to New York City, where they will attend the final event on April 26, 2012. Co-hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative, finalist teams will present their winning concepts to a world-class panel of executive judges. The winners will join McNally at a ceremony and be recognized by President Bill Clinton, keynote speaker.

For more information, including application details and registration forms, visit the Hult GCC website (HultGlobalCaseChallenge.com)

About the Hult Global Case Challenge:

Hult Global Case Challenge (Hult GCC), founded in 2009 by an enterprising Hult International Business School MBA student, is an international organization that invites college and university students from around the world to solve the world’s most pressing issues. The Hult GCC has become an acclaimed competition, with events occurring in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and online. Hult GCC believes that social issues can and should be tackled similarly to how some Fortune 100 companies solve intricate, global business issues – with innovation and efficiency. Hult GCC encourages participants to focus on innovation and efficiency to provide practical solutions to global issues. For more information, visit www.hultglobalcasechallenge.com .