Baroness Delyth Morgan steps down after 23 years as CEO at Breast Cancer Now and its legacy charities
Today (30 November 2023), Baroness Delyth Morgan has announced that she will step down from her role as chief executive at leading breast cancer research and support charity Breast Cancer Now.
Delyth has delivered 30 years of outstanding leadership in the charity sector, with 23 years dedicated to breast cancer. Delyth joined Breakthrough Breast Cancer as chief executive in 1995. Then in 2011 she was appointed chief executive of Breast Cancer Campaign following a four-year period in the House of Lords as a minister.
In 2015 and then 2019, Delyth led two mergers that brought together the three leading breast cancer charities, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Campaign and Breast Cancer Care to form Breast Cancer Now, becoming chief executive of this comprehensive charity that funds world-class research, provides life-changing support, and champions the needs of anyone affected by breast cancer.
Jill Thompson, chair of Breast Cancer Now’s board of trustees said, “A highly influential, inspirational, and respected leader in the cancer sector, for 23 years, Delyth has transformed the outlook for breast cancer. Driving the merger of the three leading breast cancer charities, Delyth formed Breast Cancer Now as a comprehensive breast cancer charity. Faced with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, she ensured the charity’s services were there when people needed them most. Since, she’s led the charity to turn the tide on breast cancer through its organisational strategy (2021-2025). Delyth’s leadership has ensured, through such significant change, a positive, people-focused and purposeful culture with our beneficiaries at its heart.
“Milestone achievements led by Delyth include the completion of Breakthrough’s founding appeal which saw the opening of the Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, based at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, as the UK’s first dedicated breast cancer research centre. Now globally renowned for bringing together world-leading scientists and enabling rapid progress in breast cancer research, it houses over 145 scientists and clinicians delivering multidisciplinary science from bench to bedside.
“A campaigner at heart, Delyth has kept a spotlight on the needs of people with breast cancer amongst policy makers and the public, ensuring improving survival rates do not lead to complacency. Breast Cancer Now’s presence at every breast cancer drug appraisal has been pivotal to over 20 drugs being approved for use on the NHS, for patients who stand to benefit from them.
“Championing the value of patient experience in service improvement, Delyth designed the first Service Pledge launched in 2003. Twenty years on, still the only breast cancer specific patient involvement and service improvement programme in the UK, it has supported over 140 cancer services across the UK to work in partnership with primary and incurable secondary breast cancer patients to design and deliver improvements and has led to over 400 improvements in patient care.
“On behalf of Breast Cancer Now’s board of trustees, I thank Delyth for her sheer dedication and all that she has achieved. She leaves the charity in a strong position, with exciting growth plans to transform the impact it has for all those affected by breast cancer now and in the future, making this an exciting time for the right person to become the charity’s new chief executive.”
Reflecting on her tenure, Baroness Delyth Morgan said, “It’s been a huge privilege to lead Breast Cancer Now and its legacy charities for 23 years, and to play a role in the significant achievements made for people affected by breast cancer. At the heart of all this progress, and my constant source of inspiration, are those affected by this devastating disease who seek to make something positive of their lived experience.
“Yet breast cancer incidence continues to rise at an alarming rate – from 1 in 12 people in the 1990s, to 1 in 7 today in the UK. And despite medical advances, it tragically remains the case that 1,000 people die from breast cancer every month in the UK.
“As such, there’s still a long way to go to achieve our goal of ensuring that, by 2050, anyone diagnosed with breast cancer will live and be supported to live well. The challenge is vast, but Breast Cancer Now, with the breast cancer community, is armed with big ambitions and ready to seize this challenge with a new chief executive at its helm.
“While it’s been a huge decision, I know this is the right time for me to step down and hand over the reins of this extraordinary charity to someone new. Both personally and as a member of the House of Lords, I’ll remain a staunch advocate for Breast Cancer Now, the cancer community and the charity sector and look forward to continued progress being made for those affected by breast cancer.”
With the charity bringing its current strategy to a close in 2025, the new chief executive will lead development of a new strategy process that looks to 2030 and beyond, driving the charity to realise its goal that, by 2050, anyone diagnosed with breast cancer will live and be supported to live well.
Breast Cancer Now’s board of trustees are working with recruitment agency Starfish to recruit to the role chief executive. This role will be advertised from today, Thursday 30th November 2023 to Monday 14th January 2024. To find out more about the role please visit: https://starfishsearch.com/jobs/bcn-chief-executive/
ENDS
For further information, to set up an interview with Delyth and/or for images please contact Breast Cancer Now’s press team on: press@breastcancernow.org or 07436 107914
Notes to editors
Delyth’s career timeline
- 1995 appointed CEO at Breakthrough Breast Cancer
- 2005 introduced to the House of Lords
- 2007 appointed as government minister in the House of Lords
- 2011 Appointed CEO at Breast Cancer Campaign
- 2015 Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer merged, then in 2019 the final stage of the merger took place with Breast Cancer Care, forming Breast Cancer Now.
About Breast Cancer Now:
If you’re experiencing breast cancer we’re here, whenever you need us. Be it through our support services, trusted breast cancer information or our specialist nurses who you can reach via our free Helpline and 24/7 Online Forum.
Backed by dedicated campaigners, we’re fighting for the best possible treatment, services, and care, for anyone affected by breast cancer. And support from our amazing fundraisers helps ensure our life-saving research and life-changing support can happen.
If you’re worried about breast cancer or have a question about breast health, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Speak to our expert nurses now by calling our free Helpline on 0808 800 6000 or visit forum.breastcancernow.org