It\u2019s not by accident that Borch achieved the CEO honor, or that his company has won four other top accolades at one time or another at the Singapore awards \u2013 including CFO of the Year, Best Investor Relations and Best Managed Board among many other commendations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Borch points to solid governance for the company\u2019s success. More than a sea of red tape and regulations, governance, Borch said, is easy to understand when it\u2019s couched in terms of the larger picture. \u201cWhether you\u2019re a business or a university, your overarching goal and purpose is to build value for your stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n A former member of Furman\u2019s board of trustees and an enthusiastic supporter of CC\/T&F, Borch aims to bring his stakeholder-focused approach to his work with Furman. \u201cWhen I look at how I can help the university, the biggest contributions I can make are those that benefit the primary stakeholders \u2013 the students, followed closely by faculty, administrators and other players.\u201d<\/p>\n To that end, Borch and his wife, Andrea, sat down with former president David Shi in 2005 to map out a plan to bolster the track program by funding athletic scholarships and coaching positions. The conversation ended with a \u201chandshake agreement\u201d that the university would provide funding as donations came in.<\/p>\n Together, with gifts from the Borchs and many other stakeholders over the last 13 years, the thoughtfully-managed endowment funds for CC\/T&F now total over $8 million, providing about $500,000 annually in scholarship aid.<\/p>\n Central to Borch\u2019s dedication to Furman track is the drive to create meaningful and lasting value for athletes.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody majors in track \u2026 these are young men and women who come to study business or health or any number of disciplines,\u201d he said. \u201cSo investments in the track program simply facilitate the process by which these athletes get a good education and then go on to do really great things.\u201d<\/p>\n Borch likes the lessons the sport teaches like learning how to be comfortable being uncomfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no shortcuts in distance running \u2013 you have to put in the work, and then you realize if you set a goal and don\u2019t give up, you\u2019re going to make progress,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the purpose of the university \u2013 to help give scholar-athletes essential components like a great classroom experience, soft skills and the ability to learn how to learn so they can pursue their fields with passion.\u201d<\/p>\n A rendering of the dedication plaque for the Blue Shoes Track House<\/p><\/div>\n The commitment to building and safeguarding stakeholder value is perhaps best underscored by the annual Stakeholders Dinner. The event, which takes place in fall semester, now draws up to 300 athletes, alumni and other friends. More than a reunion, the event is a reminder, Borch said, that a relatively non-revenue-generating sport like CC\/T&F is simply not sustainable without outside funding.<\/p>\n Reflecting on five straight Southern Conference Cross-Country titles for both men and women, the successes of Allie Buchalski<\/a>, Krissy Gear<\/a> and other scholar-athletes on the national and international stages, Borch and head coach Robert Gary are clearly delighted with the outcomes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve shown that you can take a big idea, work at it a dozen years and begin to see results,\u201d Borch said.<\/p>\n Gary added, \u201cThe highlights we\u2019ve achieved are even sweeter with Chris alongside to witness them.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.furman.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Bronze-Plaque-blue-shoes-track-house.jpg\")