Meet Kathryn Huntley, General Manager Health Services

What is your background?

I transferred from my first degree of Science (Human Movements) after a year and commenced my Nursing undergraduate seeing it as a vocational course within the health discipline I had always wanted to work in. After graduating, I worked in cancer and bone marrow transplant wards in both Brisbane and the UK for over seven years before joining the Leukaemia Foundation as a Blood Cancer Support Coordinator. I returned to study in 2016 and completed a postgraduate certificate in Health Service Management.

What inspires you to work at the Leukaemia Foundation?

My grandfather died of cancer when I was 17 years old. It was what I considered a “good death” and this sparked an interest in ensuring all patients and their families have the same respect and treatment that my family experienced during this hard time. It underpins how I work. I’m excited about our new strategy and all we are striving to achieve to support all people living with blood cancer but I am very mindful not to lose sight of where we have come from.

Prior to being appointed the General Manager of People Living with Blood Cancer, you were the Head of Living Well. What drew you to these roles?

These roles draw on my career history, study history, as well as my personal drive to make a difference by translating our strategy into practice without losing the value and impact for people living with blood cancer. I am excited to lead our national team, implementing our strategy and explore innovative ways of working. I hope that as a team we come to rely on each other for skills, experience and knowledge in our delivery of support and that we can traverse the changing landscape to continue to have an impact on people living with blood cancer.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

I love old homes and have spent the last eight years renovating our home to its former glory in line with the original design. I research the local stories and family legacy and similar to the history of the Leukaemia Foundation I am proud of how I link the past with the present and prepare for the future­­­.

What do you do on the weekends?

Most weekends I can be found on the sideline cheering on my two children at their weekend sports!