Karen Knudsen takes the role of American Cancer Society Executive Strategic Advisor

Karen Knudsen, Executive Strategic Advisor of the American Cancer Society (ACS), shared on LinkedIn:

“This week, I take the role of American Cancer Society Executive Strategic Advisor, to support the interim strategy until Mar ’25, while a national search begins. Today I pay homage to my incredible ACS and ACS CAN teammates—the most remarkable group I ever had the privilege to lead, who had faith in me as we reimagined & grew the impact of both organizations, TOGETHER. I am so proud of what we built, and deeply moved by the outpouring of appreciation received. Let’s take a look back..

When I joined in 2021—what we called our ‘Reset’ year—we set the pace for reimagined ACS. We developed a strategic plan with measurable goals centered with a focus on cancer patients and families. We identified new programs to achieve these goals, and we did it! We established pillars to give us the structure needed to leverage advocacy, discovery, and patient support to improve lives, built on our foundation of commitment to cancer care equity. This structure allowed us to excel–significantly exceeding revenue goals and increasing mission funding. An incredible set of wins!

In 2022, the year we called ‘One ACS,’ we shifted our organizational culture so that all of us were rowing in the same direction toward mission. We formally refreshed our mission and vision statements to reflect our goal of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. Our people strategy took off with full force, to foster learning/collaboration across ACS, channeling knowledge toward the greater good. Functional allocation reached new heights, as did support to expand activities across the country, including cancer research funding.

In 2023, the ‘Amplify’ year, we turned up the volume on programs of impact. We made great strides to expand mission programs in 5000 communities. We introduced mission-aligned businesses like our partnership with Color. We exceeded planned growth for the Health Equity Ambassador Program, Road to Recovery, and Hope Lodge. Advocacy wins were unprecedented and will forever change access to quality cancer care. We refined our activities in every geography, invested in volunteers, and initiated pilot programs that brought fresh approaches. I will always remember this year as one of the most exciting in ACS history.

And finally, here we are at the close of the ‘Bold’ year. We took on bold new thinking about what we should double down on, what we should stop doing, and what we should amplify further at the national level. We developed ‘Bold Awards’ to support cutting-edge strategies to be tested, and I look forward to seeing the results. Critically, we are on track once again to reach new heights in lives touched through research, advocacy, and patient support.

My ACS teammates are not just improving lives but saving lives. It’s what drives our sense of urgency to do more and to reach those who have been left behind. I will continue to be immensely proud of this group and what this organization has become, even when I say goodbye in March. To my ACS colleagues: THANK YOU!”

More posts featuring Karen Knudsen on oncodaily.com

Transition of Leadership at the American Cancer Society

Karen E. Knudsen is the past CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Prior to joining ACS, Dr. Knudsen served as executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. She also served as president for the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and on the board of directors of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She serves on the board of advisors for the National Cancer Institute and on 12 external advisory boards for NCI-designated cancer centers. She is an active member of several committees with the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in addition to serving on other academic and for-profit advisory boards.