Jodi Lee Foundation appoints former Alzheimer SA boss Kathryn Quintel as its new chief executive

THE new chief executive of the Jodi Lee Foundation speaks about her family’s battle with bowel cancer.

Jodi Lee Foundation’s founder Nick Lee has been replaced as chief executive by Kathryn Quintel whose father died from bowel cancer in 2008. Picture: AAP/Emmar Brasier

IF you’re sitting down to read this, perhaps stand up.

It might be good for your health and potentially save your life.

Kathryn Quintel, 54, believes her father’s truck-driving career, which combined hours at the wheel and less than healthy diet, likely contributed to his death from bowel cancer nine years ago, aged 67.

“It’s a disease I would not wish on anyone after seeing what the person goes through,” she said.

Her father Robert Anchor died within 11 months of diagnosis after suffering through three surgeries, including one just days before his death.

The disease would again haunt the family two years later, when Ms Quintel’s mother Ivy was diagnosed with bowel cancer after a blood test – taken after Mrs Anchor was feeling unwell from a knee operation – revealed the bad news.

“Seriously, I can’t forget that day,” said the new chief executive of bowel cancer prevention charity the Jodi Lee Foundation.

“Straight away I presumed she was going to die, (I thought) I’m going to lose both my parents to bowel cancer in two years.”

Fortunately, the cancer was detected early enough for her mother to receive the necessary life-saving treatment.

Ms Quintel will draw upon her experiences in guiding the Jodi Lee Foundation, in what she described as a “dream job”.

The former chief of Alzheimer's SA has replaced charity founder Nick Lee, who will assume chairmanship from Ernst & Young SA Advisory Board chairman Mark Butcher in January.

Ms Quintel said upon leaving Alzheimer's SA that she wanted to work in a smaller organisation in the area of cancer because of her father’s death.

“I wanted to do that after he died, but I always think you’re a little bit too emotional to step into the area you’ve just been dealing with,” she said.

“I’m just so passionate about it (bowel cancer) and having the ability to be able to eliminate bowel cancer, which is what our mission and vision is,” she said.

“It would just be an incredible feeling to be part of that . . . and Nick’s just done a fantastic job with the Foundation.”

“It’s so nice to come into an organisation where it’s just moved in leaps and bounds.

“It’s not like I’ve got to come into the organisation and change everything – everything is just here and waiting to continue to move it forward and continue to grow– that’s why it’s a dream job.

Mr Lee will continue to advocate for the charity, front public speaking events and the organisation’s workplace prevention presentations.

“For me, the transition feels like the right time from a career perspective, the Foundation is up and sustainable, but I haven’t had this separation anxiety like I thought I would,” he said.