Mon, 28/11/2022 - 09:54
We are very pleased to announce our new Chair of Trustees, Sharon James. Sharon is currently a Non-Executive Director for Healthcare and Biotechnology companies in Denmark (Novozymes), Sweden (Molnlycke) and Canada (Algae-C) so we’re excited to have Sharon join us in working towards our vision of a world without cervical cancer.
She is a strong and vocal advocate for women in science and acts as a mentor for many female young professionals. She is committed to opening the doors to science education for young girls through STEM programmes and is an active supporter of Swansea University’s STEM programme. She was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Medicine from Swansea University for being ‘a top R&D Innovator’.
Sharon’s career, including her time as Chief Technology Officer/Board level in global, blue-chip companies such as Bayer, Reckitts, PepsiCo, has encouraged her personal mission to empower consumers and patients to make choices that support their personal health - she strongly believes that the ability to control your own health and wellness is a basic human right for all.
Why did you want to be a Trustee?
Sharon said:
“Jo’s is a small charity with a big, ambitious purpose and to have the opportunity to play a small role in the delivery of this purpose is a gift. I want to use my skills and experiences to support the dedicated and hard-working Jo’s team to achieve our goals - because the people we serve deserve it!”
What do you hope to see from Jo’s?
“I would like to see cervical cancer prevention and support becoming a top priority for the Government and the NHS in the UK. I would like to see the barriers to prevention being removed and awareness of and education about the disease raised amongst all socio-economic and ethnic groups. I truly hope that my tenure witnesses a continued increase in HPV vaccination uptake and screening and for cancer patients and their families, more are armed with the knowledge and support that they need to face their disease with dignity and hope.”
Sharon joins our board of trustees at an exciting time as we embark on the development of a new five-year strategy and build our plans to get closer to our vision of eliminating cervical cancer.
Our Chief Executive Samantha Dixon says:
“We are delighted that Sharon has chosen to join Jo’s as Chair at this critical time as we develop our new long-term strategy. Sharon’s commitment to, and understanding of, women’s health and the inequalities many still face will help to lead and shape our organisation to provide the best support, information and to advocate and campaign for change.”