Welcoming Nicola Coom to Purposely.

Nicola Coom has just stepped into the role of CEO at the Cancer Society New Zealand. For her, cancer is not just a cause but a lived reality, her own BRCA1 gene diagnosis, her family’s history with the disease, and the choices she’s made to protect her health all shape the urgency she brings to leadership.

Every day in New Zealand, 77 people are diagnosed with cancer and around 10,000 die each year. Access to medicines lags behind most OECD countries, and Nicola is determined to change that. She wants donor dollars to deliver real impact, patient voices to drive health policy, and investment in research and clinical trials to accelerate progress.

In this episode, Nicola shares how personal experience has shaped her vision for the Cancer Society, why innovation and technology must be part of the solution, and how she plans to keep cancer at the top of the national agenda.

Tune in to hear Nicola’s story, her bold plans for the future, and why urgency and lived experience are essential to reshaping cancer care in Aotearoa.