Helen Rowntree

Helen Rowntree become the Chief Executive of Blood Cancer UK in January 2023, and has been with the organisation since 2019. In her first year in post, Helen pivoted the charity towards delivering its strategy, moving away from strategy creation. Through her leadership, the charity embraced a cross-team, insight-driven approach to meet the needs of its users and supporters.

Under Helen's leadership the organisation has achieved the following: • Received a £2 million donation, one of its largest ever. • Increased spend on research awards to £7m in 2023/24. • Flagship event, Walk of Light has increased threefold in income. • Brand recognition soared to 50.9%, which puts the charity on track to beat our target before the end of our current strategy period. • The reach of services has broadened, with two pilots undertaken in two hospitals to refer patients from healthcare professionals to the charity. • Launched the first ever Blood Cancer Action Plan

Helen fostered a supportive workplace culture, with 99% of colleagues recommending the charity as a great place to work, and winning a commendation at the British HR Awards 2024. The above means she is a strong candidate for recognition as a rising CEO.