After years of bashing heads with government legislators and commercial TV rivals, former ASTRA CEO Petra Buchanan is taking on a much more formidable foe after joining the McGrath Foundation fighting breast cancer.
The TV industry executive left ASTRA in March last year and this week starts in an industry every bit as competitive as the one she left, but where the rewards are starkly different to the subscription numbers, advertising income and government law relaxation that defined success in her previous role.
With breast cancer being one of the most common forms of cancer amongst women, and numbers again on the rise, Buchanan said that the role was a vital one for thousands of women and their families affected by cancer.
And with the not-for-profit sector packed with organisations seeking a slice of Australia's discretionary spending, Buchanan told AdNews the task would not be an easy one.
“The brand is something pretty significant. In a short period of time they have gone from what was small ambitions to something that is quite remarkable,” Buchanan said.
“Next year they are 10 years old and I think they are ready to take the next step to look more strategically at the environment in terms of breast cancer implications for women across Australia and how they can help them and take care of them.”
The foundation has benefited from the profile of one of Australia’s most popular sportsmen, Glenn McGrath, and the tragedy his family endured when he lost his wife, Jane, who helped co-found the foundation which helps fund breast cancer support nurses across the country, to the disease in 2008.
“This year 42 people every day are being diagnosed,” Buchanan said. “It's pretty significant and therefore a great and worthwhile cause. With charitable organisations there is a lot of competition. Competition for time, energy, funding, all of those aspects an so I think that is probably going to be the biggest area to focus on.”
Success will have just one measure for Buchanan – seeing the numbers of women diagnosed with breast cancer and dying from the disease dropping.
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