Formerly the president of Church's Chicken,
Hala Moddelmog, the newly installed president and
CEO of the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation - and
51-year-old mother of two - seems to have quickly made the
transition from top executive at an international fast-food
chain to head cheerleader for one of the world's most
respected nonprofits. We spoke with Moddelmog, herself a
breast
cancer survivor, a few months into her position and on
the eve of the foundation's 25th anniversary. - Jill
Becker
What are the differences between being at the helm
of a major corporation, where it's all about the bottom line, and
spearheading a charitable organization?
It's incredible to wake up in the morning and know that you're
working on something that can ultimately save lives. Plus, the
level of passion and dedication of the people involved is
tremendous. It's the most team-spirited work I've ever been
involved with. But, at the end of the day, there are a lot of
similarities. You still have to reach your strategic and financial
targets.
7.2%
Decline in the breast cancer rate in 2003, the most recent year
recorded
Less than 1
Percentage of breast cancer cases that were diagnosed in men in
2005
+0.4%
Change in the annual death rate between 1975 and 1990
of women with breast cancer
-2.3%
Change in the annual death rate between 1990 and 2002 of women with
breast cancer
At a not-for-profit, who are your stockholders -
in other words, the people you ultimately report to?
We're accountable to cancer patients, survivors, advocates,
researchers, health-care workers, and leaders in government policy.
I call them our stakeholders.
The foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary
this year. What do you consider its most significant achievement to
date?
There are two, really. The first is that we've helped change the
culture surrounding breast cancer. People didn't talk about breast
cancer 25 years ago; they didn't share their stories. Women carried
the "shame" of breast cancer to their graves. The second is the
clinical piece of the pie. By the end of our 25th year, we will
have invested close to $1 billion toward breast cancer research.
What's next for Komen?
This month, we're announcing that we're changing our name. We will
now be called Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We're also updating our
logo.
What was the impetus behind the
changes?
We saw our anniversary as not only a chance to celebrate our
accomplishments but a time to look ahead. And as we move forward,
we want to put more emphasis on branding. Because if we do a good
job at branding, then awareness is enhanced. And the new name gets
to what we're really about: It's definitive. It's a call to action.
It takes you back to Nancy Brinker's promise when she started the
foundation that she wouldn't rest until there was a cure.
You were diagnosed with breast cancer five years
ago. Do you think that has helped you in your new
position?
Do I think someone who hasn't had or experienced breast cancer
could do this job? Yes. Because ultimately it's about leadership,
about driving the membership. But having had breast cancer does
give me a unique perspective, a credibility and relatability with
our audience. I can listen as both a CEO and a survivor.
What advice would you give to anyone dealing with breast cancer?Get educated. Most importantly, be an advocate for yourself. My experience with breast cancer wasn’t difficult. I never shed a tear. I knew my chances for survival were incredibly high. And thinking back on it, I realize the reason for that was Komen. The work they do made the experience much less difficult.
For more on Susan G. Komen for the Cure, visit
www.komen.org.
A Portion of the ProceedsYou’ve seen them everywhere, those pink products (often displaying Komen’s familiar pink ribbon) that donate portions of their sales to support breast cancer awareness and research. Here, according to Komen, are their top five pink products, in no particular order.
Ocean Pearl Filled Candle, from Pier One, $14
Cook for the Cure Edition Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, from KitchenAid, $320
New Cook Book: Limited Edition “Pink Plaid,” from Better Homes and Gardens, $30
2006 Ford Warriors in Pink scarf, from
Ford Motor Company, $35
Pink and white M&M’s, from M&M’s Chocolate Candies, starting at $3 (available from approximately August 15 through October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month)