Cancer Research UK is looking for a new marketing director as Philip Almond announces he will retire from the charity in May 2026.
Cancer Research UK’s executive director of marketing, fundraising and engagement, Philip Almond, has announced his retirement from the role after six years.
With Almond set to leave Cancer Research at the end of May 2026, the charity will seek a direct replacement for the role.
Almond joined the charity after six years as CMO at the BBC, and formerly held senior marketing roles at Diageo and Burger King. While at the charity, he helped to lead its digital transformation and maintain its position as the UK’s most loved charity brand according to Savanta.
Announcing his plans to retire on LinkedIn, Almond said it “was not an easy decision” but “will leave knowing the charity is in a strong position”. He shared that he will be enjoying leisure and travel before “firming up broader plans” for future work.
In terms of his replacement, he added that the charity is looking for “people with strong general management skills, an excellent track record in brand and marketing and contemporary GenAI and data/digital transformations”.
Almond also commented that his time at Cancer Research has been “incredibly varied”. This saw him lead a brand refresh in 2023, which changed the charity’s strapline from ‘Together we will beat cancer’ to ‘Together we are beating cancer’. This evolution was designed to reflect the progress that had already been made in fighting cancer, rather than just framing the charity’s work as towards a single, silver-bullet “cure”.
In March, Almond told Marketing Week that the charity experienced a 10% increase in people saying they’re likely to donate after the rebrand, as the charity increased the role of science in its storytelling.
He also led a refresh of Race for Life last year to attract a more “inclusive” audience.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said Almond has been “an incredibly valued member” of the leadership team, adding he played “a pivotal role in strengthening our brand, deepening supporter engagement and delivered record-breaking income and contribution”.
She also credited his work in driving the charity’s “digital transformation”.
Cancer Research UK is currently on track to exceed its commitment to spend at least £1.5bn on research during the five-year period 2021/22 to 2025/26.
