To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, we spoke to Susanna Daniels, Chief Executive Officer at Melanoma Focus, about her experiences of leading a high-profile charity.
Susanna, an oncology pharmacist by background, has been at the helm of Melanoma Focus for over three years and is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of melanoma, the 5th most common cancer in the UK.
What inspired you to move from a pharmaceutical background and pursue a leadership role in the charity sector?
“I was the lead cancer pharmacist in a teaching hospital in London and transformed the way the services operated. The team grew from 5 staff to 22 when I left. I then joined Pharma on the medical side, working on immunotherapies which were the new treatments in melanoma and lung cancer. I worked in head office with the aspiration of using my NHS knowledge to instigate joint working projects. This, however, proved challenging and I started to look for other options.
“When I worked in melanoma, we sponsored the Melanoma Focus healthcare professional meetings and I heard the then CEO and Founder speak about a TrialFinder that he wanted to create. I rang him up and said that I would do that for him. He didn’t need a project manager, but he needed someone to take over the charity. This was obviously not on my game plan and he persuaded me to apply and he would stay on for a year and we would work together. This ended up being a little longer due to the Covid pandemic.”
What are some key lessons you have learned on your journey to becoming a successful female CEO?
- Your team is your biggest asset
- Listen and collaborate
- Aim high
“It has been a very steep learning curve but I have found that people are willing to help you which is humbling; There are two people whom I can call on for advice and I probably should do this more often. They aren’t mentors as such, however, they are a sounding board when needed. I have found external people to ‘mentor’ new members of the team if needed.”
What has been your proudest achievement since becoming CEO of Melanoma Focus?
“There have been lots of proud moments and we often pinch ourselves as we think of ourselves as a small, yet mighty team! Top of my mind is overhauling our patient information (and website) with various videos and animations to a level that clinicians and the NHS signpost us and we are now a PIF TICK accredited (a trusted patient information provider). In addition to this, I’m very proud of the following:
- As a small charity, being chosen for a BBC Lifeline appeal.
- Organising annual awareness campaigns and seeing the large digital screens, as I’ve entered a service station, with our campaigns.
- Taking over the organisation of the Melanoma Patient Conference – a hugely inspirational and uplifting event.
- Increasing the use of the incredible Melanoma Helpline from a service that was barely heard of (less than 1 call a week) to 1-5 calls a day.”
How has Melanoma Focus impacted the lives of women in the UK?
“Melanoma affects both men and women, so our work aims to help society as a whole. For women in the UK, there are 8,400 new cases of melanoma skin cancer every year and it’s the most frequent of any cancer among females aged 20-24 years.
“Many healthcare professionals working in the field of melanoma are women as are all the staff at Melanoma Focus. We also have five exceptional women on our Board of Trustees including Dermatologists, Oncologists, Nurses, and melanoma patients. They shape the charity’s objectives and strategy. It’s a privilege to work with so many inspiring and dedicated women and see the difference they are making.”
What advice do you have for women looking to make a difference in the charity sector?
“It’s a very rewarding sector and mine is a busy (possibly too busy), varied job. I am driven by making a difference. I do, however, regularly have imposter syndrome so I recommend you surround yourself with people, particularly women, whom you can talk to and bounce ideas off, whether as a mentor or ad hoc.”
Campaign Collective is a campaign partner to Melanoma Focus.