Michelle Elizabeth Mitchell OBE[1] is the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK. She has worked extensively in the charity sector, having led Age UK, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and the Fawcett Society.
Michelle Mitchell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Michelle Elizabeth Mitchell March 1972 (age 52) |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester University College London Insead Harvard Kennedy School |
| Employer(s) | Age UK Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Charter 88 |
| Organisation(s) | Young Women's Trust King's Fund Power to Change Trust Fawcett Society |
Education and early career
editMitchell grew up in Ellesmere Port.[2] She was the first in her family to attend university, and studied economics at the University of Manchester, earning a bachelor's degree in 1994.[2] She worked for Donald Dewar after graduating, completing a Master's degree at University College London in political administration in the evenings.[2] In 1997 she joined Charter 88, a political campaigning group who worked on the House of Lords Reform Bill 2012.[2] She earned an International Executive Diploma from INSEAD in 2005 and an Innovations in Governance qualification from the John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2006.[2][3]
Career
editMitchell was appointed the governmental affairs adviser to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in 2000.[2] Mitchell worked at Age Concern as Head of Public Affairs from 2002 and Director of Communications from 2007.[4] From 2005 to 2008 Mitchell was Chair of Trustees of the Fawcett Society.[5]
She worked as Charity Director at Age UK from 2010.[4] Here, Mitchell launched Let's Talk Money to get the charity to tackle several political issues, aiming to improve old people's incomes.[4][6] She spoke about her work on Woman's Hour.[7] When she left she appointed Hannah Pearce and Angela Kitching to job share as Head of External Relations.[8]
Mitchell served as Chief Executive of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain from 2013 to 2018.[9][10] She oversaw a 40% increase in access to treatments for MS and launched a £100 million fundraising campaign.[11] During this time she wrote regularly for the Huffington Post.[12] She has extensive non-executive experience, including as a non-executive director of NHS England and a Trustee of the King's Fund and Power to Change Trust.[13][14]
Mitchell was appointed the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK in 2018.[15][16] She is responsible for the leadership and direction of the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. She has helped put the charity on a strong footing to achieve its vision of bringing about a world where everybody can lead longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.[17]
During her tenure at Cancer Research UK, Mitchell has overseen the publication of Longer, Better Lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care, which called on the next UK government to introduce measures that could help prevent 20,000 cancer deaths every year by 2040.[18] She also led the development of More Research, Less Cancer, the largest ever philanthropic campaign by a UK charity.[19]
Awards and honours
editMitchell was appointed Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to Older People and the Voluntary Sector.[1][20] She was named by Cranfield University as one of the 100 Women to Watch in 2018, and was recognised as one of the 100 Influential Women in Oncology by OncoDaily.[21][22] She joined the University of Cambridge's Homerton College as an Honorary Fellow in 2023.[23]
References
edit- ^ a b Anon (2017). "Mitchell, Michelle Elizabeth". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). Oxford: A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U279589. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b c d e f "Michelle Mitchell: 'I'm not one for the status quo'". Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Our board". nhsengland-appointments.com. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "Profile: Michelle Mitchell, charity director of Age UK". Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Adams, Richard (1 August 2003). "Scarcity of women in boardrooms". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "The mergers that herald the age of the super-charity". 4 September 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Natasha Baker; Knitwear; First Period". BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Why Age UK's head of external relations is two separate people". Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Michelle Mitchell, CEO, leaving MS Society - update | Volunteer news and resources". volunteers.mssociety.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Age UK director general appointed as new MS Society chief executive". charitytimes.com. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "I believe you can change the world in many ways". mssociety.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Michelle Mitchell". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "NHS England welcomes two new Non-Executive Directors". 22 February 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Cancer Research UK appoints new chief executive". Cancer Research UK. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Who's moving where? Appointments round-up | UK Fundraising". UK Fundraising. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Bristol, University of. "2018: CEO CRUK | Cancer research | University of Bristol". bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "Our strategy to beat cancer". Cancer Research UK. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Longer, better lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care". Cancer Research UK. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "More Research, Less Cancer". Cancer Research UK. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Michelle MITCHELL". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ "Cranfield 100 Women to Watch 2018 - Diversity UK" (PDF). Diversity UK. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ "100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to follow on Social Media in 2023". OncoDaily.
- ^ Moss, Matthew (12 June 2023). "Michelle Mitchell OBE joins as an Honorary Fellow". Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Retrieved 23 April 2024.