Michelle MitchellSector leader

Biography

Michelle Mitchell OBE has served as Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK since November 2018, with responsibility for the overall leadership and management of the world's leading charitable funder of cancer research. Before joining CRUK she was CEO of the MS Society for five years and a founding member of the Progressive MS Alliance, and prior to that served as Director General at Age UK for nearly a decade. She contributes to steering groups for the Department for Health and Social Care's National Cancer Plan and the 10-Year Health Plan for England, and has previously served as a non-executive director of NHS England and as a Trustee of the King's Fund. Under her leadership, CRUK published a manifesto outlining policy actions to help prevent up to 20,000 cancer deaths annually by 2040, and launched 'More Research, Less Cancer', described as the largest philanthropic campaign ever undertaken by a UK charity. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to the charity sector.

References

1. 1.Chief Executive and Executive Board | Cancer Research UK — Role title, appointment date, career history, qualifications, OBE, strategic leadership at CRUK, National Cancer Plan contributions
2. 2.Michelle Mitchell | Francis Crick Institute — Appointment as Chief Executive of CRUK in November 2018; non-executive experience at NHS England and King's Fund
3. 3.Michelle Mitchell OBE Recognized Among The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025 – OncoDaily — Recognition in oncology; manifesto for cancer policy; More Research, Less Cancer philanthropic campaign
4. 4.Ep 25. Michelle Mitchell OBE, CEO Cancer Research UK | The Charity CEO Podcast — First female CEO of CRUK; prior CEO of MS Society; OBE 2015
5. 5.74,000 cancer patients not treated on time in 2024 – Cancer Research UK News

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking
• Cancer

Stated areas of expertise

• Cancer policy and waiting times
• Cancer research funding
• Tobacco and prevention policy
• NHS performance and reform
• Charity sector leadership
• National cancer planning

Notable achievements

• Led publication of a manifesto outlining policy actions to help prevent up to 20,000 cancer deaths annually by 2040, and launched 'More Research, Less Cancer', the largest philanthropic campaign ever undertaken by a UK charity. Source ↗
• Appointed Cancer Research UK's first female Chief Executive in November 2018. Source ↗
• Recognised among the 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025 by OncoDaily. Source ↗
• Awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to the charity sector. Source ↗
• Set CRUK on a new long-term strategic course with the launch of its 10-year strategy in 2022 following navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “There was no time to waste in taking long-discussed and urgently needed action to improve what are – by international standards – England's low rates of early detection of cancer.”

  Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Offer cancer patients exercise on NHS, major charity urges ↗

• “No one should be at a greater risk of dying of cancer because of where they live, but cancer death rates are around a third higher for people living in the most deprived areas of England compared to the least deprived.”

  chief executive of Cancer Research UK · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Rural and coastal areas of England to get more cancer doctors ↗

• “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK, but diagnosing it at an earlier stage can significantly improve people's chances of survival. New technologies like this have huge potential, and tests to ensure they're accurate and beneficial for patients in the real world should happen quickly so that innovations can reach everyone sooner.”

  chief executive of Cancer Research UK · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · NHS England to trial AI and robotic tools to detect and diagnose lung cancer ↗

• “England lags behind comparable countries on cancer survival and it's vital that this changes, so more people affected by cancer can live longer, better lives.”

Source references

1. Offer cancer patients exercise on NHS, major charity urgestheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. Rural and coastal areas of England to get more cancer doctorstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
3. NHS England to trial AI and robotic tools to detect and diagnose lung cancertheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
4. Three-quarters of cancer patients in England will survive by 2035, government pledgestheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
5. One person diagnosed with cancer every 80 seconds in UK, report revealstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/how-we-are-run/chief-executive-and-executive-board
• LinkedInhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mitchell-obe-56703428
• Xhttps://x.com/Michelle_CRUKpublished here ↗
• Press office emailhttps://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/press-office

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.