Phillip Mills

Multiple members of Phillip Mills' immediate family have represented New Zealand in track and field at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. His father, Les Mills, has competed multiple times in both events. Phillip, along with his mother, Colleen, and younger sister, Donna, were all selected for the 1974 Commonwealth Games; however, Les was omitted from the team.New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association website. [https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/les-mills Les Mills profile]. 2010. Accessed 28 July 2010.New Zealand Olympic Committee|New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association website. [https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/colleen-mills Colleen Mills profile]. 2010. Accessed 28 July 2010.New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association website. [https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/donna-mills Donna Mills profile]. 2010. Accessed 28 July 2010.

Mills competed in the 110m hurdles at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch and in both the 110m and 400m hurdles at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta.New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association website. [https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/phillip-mills Phillip Mills profile]. 2010. Accessed 28 July 2010. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on a track and field scholarship and graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1978.

After returning to New Zealand in 1979, Mills took an increasing role in the Les Mills fitness club business founded by his parents, Les and Colleen Mills, in 1968. The Les Mills business launched onto the stock market in 1984 and was taken over by an investment company in 1987. After the share market crash that year, Mills bought the business back.{{cite news|title=Twelve Questions: Phillip Mills |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11388712 |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=20 January 2015}}Scoop Business. [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1104/S00355/les-mills-unleashes-new-world-class-gym-in-britomart-auck.htm Les Mills Unleashes New World-Class Gym In Britomart Auck]

In the early 1980s, Mills developed an exercise-to-music choreographed set of exercises and commercialized them based on licensing instructors to lead classes.[http://www.magazinestoday.co.nz/Features/Interviews/Phillip+Mills.html Phillip Mills] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702072437/http://www.magazinestoday.co.nz/Features/Interviews/Phillip+Mills.html |date=2 July 2015 }}. Magazines Today{{cite web |last1=Felstead |first1=Alan |last2=Bishop |first2=Daniel |last3=Fuller |first3=Alison |last4=Jewson |first4=Nick |last5=Lee |first5=Tracey |last6=Unwin |first6=Lorna |title=Moving to the Music: Learning Processes, Training and Productive Systems – The Case of Exercise to Music Instruction |url=http://learningaswork.cf.ac.uk/outputs/Moving_to_the_Music_Final.pdf |publisher=Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902003104/http://learningaswork.cf.ac.uk/outputs/Moving_to_the_Music_Final.pdf |archive-date=2 September 2017|location=Learning as Work Research Paper, No. 6 |date=June 2006}}

As of March 2015, there were 18 different programs distributed across 100 countriesNew Zealand Trade and Enterprise. [https://www.nzte.govt.nz/en/news-and-media/blogs-and-commentary/2015/3/24/all-the-right-moves/ All the right moves] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702082308/https://www.nzte.govt.nz/en/news-and-media/blogs-and-commentary/2015/3/24/all-the-right-moves/ |date=2 July 2015 }} and by 2023, the workouts were being delivered to 21,000 gyms and clubs across the world.{{Cite web |date=16 November 2023 |title=Les Mills CEO throws in the sweat towel |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/les-mills-ceo-throws-in-the-sweat-towel/QDSBIOZR3JC53HERNIQ5XAKM34/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} Phillip Mills has also developed a group fitness management system for maximizing the commercial benefits of the Les Mills programs.The New Zealand Listener. [http://www.listener.co.nz/the-influentials/influentials-business-movers/ Influentials: Business movers]

Mills’ views on fitness industry trends and the secrets of the most successful fitness facilities are regularly shared across the fitness industry.{{cite news|title=Les Mills CEO: HIIT training popular |url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2012/04/17/qmb-les-mills-intl-ceo-phillip-mills.cnn |publisher=CNN |date=17 April 2012}}{{cite web |title=Group Exercise for Growth and Strength |url=http://digital.turn-page.com/i/61066-april-may-2012/19 |publisher=OnSite Fitness |date=1 April 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|title=Fitness is now the world's biggest sport, according to Les Mills survey |url=http://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=308475 |publisher=Health Club Management |date=11 March 2014}}

Mills is an advocate for “green” business.Mills, Phillip. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10618114&pnum=0 “Green chances far outweigh costs”]. New Zealand Herald. 2 January 2010.

Mills, Phillip. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/opinion/3371449/To-do-more-than-catch-up-we-need-to-clean-up-and-green-up “To do more than catch up, we need to clean up and green up”]. Dominion Post. 25 February 2010. His belief in the importance of sustainability has been widely publicised in New Zealand,{{cite news|title=Lisa Owen interviews Les Mills CEO Phillip Mills |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1405/S00045/lisa-owen-interviews-les-mills-ceo-phillip-mills.htm |publisher=Scoop Politics |date=3 May 2014}}{{cite news|title=Climate swings donor left |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11238187 |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=15 April 2014}} and he has authored several articles on the financial benefits of a green economy along with the need for New Zealand to take action on climate change.{{cite news|title=To do more than catch up, we need to clean up and green up |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/3371449/To-do-more-than-catch-up-we-need-to-clean-up-and-green-up |publisher=The Dominion Post |date=25 February 2010}}{{cite news|title=Phillip Mills: Green chances far outweigh costs |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10618114&pnum=0 |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=2 January 2010}}{{cite news|title=Phillip Mills and Barry Coates: Stakes too high to stay silent on climate change |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11451943 |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=21 May 2015}}

He is the founder of Pure Advantage, a group of New Zealand business leaders lobbying for green economic policy.Fallow, Brian. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/copenhagen-climate-change-conference-2009/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502875&objectid=10621304 “The upside of climate change”]. New Zealand Herald. 21 January 2010.

In 2010, the Pure Advantage Trust has commissioned a group of world-leading economists to review New Zealand's green growth opportunities.Revington, Mark. [http://unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/leadership/change-agents?Opendocument&HighLight=2,change,agents “New Zealand's cleantech change agents”]. Unlimited. 21 June 2010.Tobias, Chris. [http://idealog.co.nz/magazine/may-june-2010/celsias/one-hundred-percent “One hundred percent”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523033815/http://idealog.co.nz/magazine/may-june-2010/celsias/one-hundred-percent |date=23 May 2010 }}. Idealog No. 27. 2010.[http://www.100percentplan.com/ 100% Plan website]. Accessed 28 July 2010.

Prompted by a perceived lack of action from the Government on climate change, in 2014, Mills gave $64,999 to the Labour Party and $60,000 to the Green Party.{{Cite web |last=Davison |first=Isaac |date=16 November 2023 |title=Climate swings donor left - New Zealand News |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/climate-swings-donor-left/CEGST4JCIPQKDRQS624AXLSWYU/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} In 2023, Mills continued his support of the Labour Party, offering to match up to $50,000 in donations.{{Cite web |date=16 November 2023 |title=Wealthy donors match $150,000 in small donations to Labour |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/wealthy-donors-match-150000-in-small-donations-to-labour/RD75PVHAXFBGFOFKVG3CF4OYGQ/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}

Mills' daughter Diana has also spoken to Forbes about how her parents encouraged feminism in fitness early by promoting "strong is the new skinny".{{Cite web |last=Piazza |first=Jo |date=7 August 2018 |title=Bringing A Female Touch To A Family Fitness Business |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jopiazza/2018/08/07/bringing-a-womans-perspective-to-her-grandfathers-company/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

• In 2004, Mills was Ernst & Young's New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year.{{cite web |title=Ernst & Young List of winners of NZ Entrepreneur of the Year |url=http://www.ey.com/NZ/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/Hall-of-Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209163405/https://www.ey.com/nz/en/about-us/entrepreneurship/entrepreneur-of-the-year/hall-of-fame |archive-date=9 February 2013 |work=Ernst & Young}}
• In 2005, Les Mills International was named New Zealand Services Exporter of the Year by NZ Trade and Enterprise.
• In 2009, Mills won Kea New Zealand's World Class New Zealand Award for New Thinking.Kea New Zealand website. [http://www.keanewzealand.com/global/2009-winners “Winners of the 2009 World Class New Zealand Awards”. Accessed 28 July, 2010.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227095927/http://www.keanewzealand.com/global/2009-winners|date=27 February 2013}}Made from New Zealand website. [http://www.madefromnewzealand.com/video/phillip-mills-world-class-new-zealand-les-mills Video interview: “Phillip Mills – World Class New Zealand – Les Mills”]. 2009.
• In 2011, Mills was presented with an Australian Fitness Network Lifetime Achievement Award[http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/awards/lifetime-achievement Lifetime Achievement Award Winners]. Australian Fitness Network. 2011. and was named on The National Business Review (NBR) Rich List.The National Business Review [http://www.nbr.co.nz/phillip-jacqui-mills MILLS Phillip & Jacqui] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426000904/http://www.nbr.co.nz/phillip-jacqui-mills|date=26 April 2015}}
• In 2022, Mills, his wife Jackie Mills, and his father Les were jointly inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=Past laureates |url=http://www.businesshalloffame.co.nz/past-laureates/ |access-date=19 February 2023 |website=Business Hall of Fame}}

In 2007 Mills and his wife, Jackie Mills, published Fighting Globesity – A Practical Guide To Personal Health and Global Sustainability (Random House).Mills, Phillip and Dr Jackie Mills MD. [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1869418549 Fighting Globesity: A Practical Guide to Personal Health and Sustainability]. Random House. 2007.Monroe, Mary. [http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/fit-body-fit-planet “Fit Body, Fit Planet”]. IDEA Fitness Journal. September 2008.

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Category:New Zealand businesspeople

Category:Aerobic exercise

Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand male hurdlers

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Commonwealth Games

Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand

Category:1955 births

Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners

Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen

Category:UCLA Bruins men's track and field athletes