When O’Brien Glass CEO Miles Wilson talks about childhood cancer, the statistics land heavy. More than a thousand children in Australia are diagnosed with the disease each year. And every week, cancer kills three children in Australia.

“It’s quite sobering,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “Rough math, that’s three children diagnosed a day only in Australia – I’d hate to think about what the global numbers are and then what the survival rate is beyond that.

“As business leaders, we are very fortunate to be in the position we are in, and we have a responsibility to give back and do whatever we can to help these families get through it – and ultimately, find a cure.”

Daring to make a difference

That sense of responsibility is what drives Wilson to return year after year to CEO Dare to Cure – an annual fundraising event for Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) that pushes CEOs and business leaders well outside their comfort zones to raise critical funds for childhood cancer research.

Since its inception eight years ago, CEO Dare to Cure has become a flagship occasion on the corporate calendar, gathering more than 300 CEOs each year across Sydney and Melbourne. Participants brave challenges that range from walking on glass and bathing with snakes to heart-pumping fitness feats, a daredevil stunt jump and more.

When asked if those moments of discomfort feel small compared to what children face in treatment, Wilson doesn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely. We’re fortunate to be done and dusted in a matter of minutes, unlike some of these treatments that take months or even years,” he says.

“So if a few moments of our discomfort can help raise more money for research and life-saving treatments – and ultimately, lead to better outcomes for these kids – then it’s more than worth it.”

A personal connection

Wilson’s introduction to the cause came through a friend, Cameron Bayfield, who had long been active with the Institute. Returning to Australia to run Red Bull after years overseas with Coca-Cola, Wilson was quickly drawn in.

“Cam reached out to me and started educating me on childhood cancer research and the work that CEO Dare to Cure does,” he reveals.

“It was a pretty easy sell – when you start to understand the work that’s being done, it’s world-leading. And it’s changing lives.

“It was something I was very happy to be a part of and have been now for quite a number of years and will continue to be.”

For Wilson, the cause has only become more personal since having children of his own. Both were born while he and his wife lived in China, which made him acutely aware of how different the outcome could have been in less-resourced settings.

“I feel fortunate to have gone there to have that experience and to come home with two healthy children. Not everyone’s fortunate to have that,” he acknowledges.

“Again, just the more I understand about the work that’s being done, the more invested I get in this charity.”

Leading by example

Wilson’s two children, now aged 12 and 10, are starting to understand their father’s commitment.

“Do they recognize and talk about it? They know that I do some stuff like this,” he says.

“Do they understand it? No. Do they realize how lucky they are? Definitely not.”

But Wilson makes a point of bringing them along the journey anyway. His daughter once gave a presentation to her class about his involvement in CEO Dare to Cure, which Wilson used as an opportunity to explain the medical research institute’s mission.

“It was a learning moment,” he reflects. “As CEO Dare to Cure comes up, she sort of knows what it is and wants to know what dare I’ll be taking on, which is nice.”

At work, he also sets an example. For the 2025 event, instead of taking on a dare alone, Wilson is bringing a team from O’Brien Glass to tackle the fitness challenge together.

“It’s going to be a very different experience this time,” he notes. “In previous years, I’ve walked on glass and laid down with snakes. So the team element this year is something I’m excited about.”

Facing fear for a greater cause

Of all the dares he’s faced, one stands out as the most confronting.

“The one that challenged me the most was the snakes. It really got into my head for a few days leading up to the event,” he recalls, grimacing.

“I’m OK with spiders, but snakes – I’m a city boy, I grew up in London – so I have zero experience with them. It really put me outside of my comfort zone.”

He describes walking on glass as another mental challenge.

“I couldn’t process how you could walk on glass and not cut your feet. It makes no sense to me at all. But lo and behold you can apparently,” Wilson says.

“I later took that and used it for one of my team offsites, challenging my team in a similar way. It showed them what I went through for the kids.”

The power of the business community

CEO Dare to Cure is not just about personal bravery. At its core, it’s about mobilizing the business community to fund world-class research. As the only independent medical research institute in Australia wholly dedicated to childhood cancer, CCI has already helped survival rates climb above 80 percent. But the figure still leaves far too many families without hope.

“To be brutally honest, those in the business community are the ones that can source the most money. This type of research is expensive and needs all the financial support it can get from businesses and organizations,” Wilson points out.

“As CEOs, we are part of large, wealthy organizations, and we have networks out there who can afford to chip in a bit. That’s a responsibility we have – to try and source money from areas of the private sector that can afford to support these types of things.”

That responsibility extends beyond financial contribution to influence as well. CEOs, Wilson says, can spark conversations in boardrooms, on social media or in personal networks, encouraging others to give back.

“Just having that constant narrative and talking about CEO Dare to Cure is powerful. Sometimes people don’t know where to start, and this invites them in,” he explains.

Building a community

Over its eight years in Sydney and four years in Melbourne, CEO Dare to Cure has created a unique community of leaders who return annually. For Wilson, that network has become an unexpected benefit.

“Each year, I’ll meet someone new or bump into people I’ve met throughout my career,” he says. “It does create that community feeling. Because the event is so well organized and it’s for such a good cause, it’s easy to say yes to doing it year after year.”

That sense of community reinforces the long-term commitment required to tackle childhood cancer. As Wilson explains, research isn’t solved overnight – it needs years of constant investment. This is something the growing community of business leaders is uniquely positioned to provide.

The deeper why

Wilson’s motivation and deeper why stems from a place of experience.

“You get to a stage in life where the first quarter, you learn; the second, you earn; and the third, you return. And I’m in the third stage now. It’s very much time for me to give back,” he says.

And a benefit of supporting CEO Dare to Cure, he says, is that the commitment isn’t tied to his employer.

“Regardless of the organization I work for, this is a cause I take with me,” he confirms.

“As I moved from Red Bull to O’Brien, it was an opportunity for me to educate a new set of people and a new organization about CEO Dare to Cure and the work that’s being done to create a world without childhood cancer.”

What does that world look like?

“It’s a happier world,” Wilson says. “When we get to that point, the level of medical advancements would make the world an exciting place.

“We’ll be able to do more than address childhood cancer survival rates but longevity and lifespan as well.”

Just do it

Asked what he would say to a fellow executive considering CEO Dare to Cure, Wilson doesn’t think twice before saying, “Give it a go. You have nothing to lose.

“It’s a great community. It’s really fun, and you get to meet great people. It also tugs at your heartstrings a few times when you see the videos. They’re hard to watch, but impactful.

“So just get involved with CEO Dare to Cure. Try it once. And I think that experience itself will win you over and bring you back the next year.”

That’s the real message: it doesn’t take much to start.

“You’ll definitely learn from it,” Wilson adds. “And it’s not a big time investment. It’s as much as you want to make it.

“I’d encourage anyone out there who’s sitting on the fence to give it a crack for a year and see if you like it – I’m certain you will.”

Join the movement

In 2025, CEO Dare to Cure aims to raise US$1.1 million to accelerate lifesaving research for childhood cancer. The events will take place in Melbourne on 17 October and in Sydney on 24 October.

To learn more or register, visit: www.ccia.org.au/event/ceo-dare-to-cure

Because every child deserves the chance to grow up and chase their dreams.