Kate Vines COSA 2015 ASM

Kate Vines

Kate was born and educated in New Zealand and moved to Australia at age 17. After early of roles in sales and marketing Kate spent 15 years with Sydney Automotive Paints, the last 6 of those Marketing Manager. In 1991 Kate was forced, due to ill health, to take an extended break from work. In 2000, Kate established her own event company promoting motivational speakers in Australia. Kate successfully ran this business until 2006 when she and her husband Richard decided they deserved a less frantic life style. Kate and Richard worked together in the Australian Retailers Association and also in Progressive Business before jointly forming Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) in 2012. Kate and Richard have 3 adult children with families and they live in Bowral, a small town 90 minutes from Sydney. RCA is a patient advocacy group that is focused on Australians with rare and less common cancers. RCA has published research on the state of rare and less common cancers through the “Just a little more time” report, actively advocated for policy reform around research and treatment for rare cancers and provided substantial support to Australian patients living with rare and less common cancers today. Richard and Kate continue to work with government, clinicians and industry and are making certain that these cancers, of which there are over 200, will never be forgotten or ignored again.