Third recipient of the 2020 Middleton Scholarship revealed

UICC’s Vanguard Partner, ICON Group, is pleased to announce Alicia Moo as the third recipient of the Middleton Scholarship, an annual prize awarded to an Icon Group staff member and personally funded by Icon Group CEO, Mark Middleton, and his family. The scholarship, Now in its third year, is focused on empowering continued professional development, nurturing talent and providing meaningful opportunities for people across Icon Group.

The Middleton Scholarship enables an Icon Group staff member to be part of the global cancer care conversation that arises from the partnership with UICC. Each year the programme of works for the Scholar varies but is always designed to develop professional skills and offer network opportunities with global leaders.

We caught up with Mark Middleton and the 2020 scholarship recipient, Alicia Moo, to learn more about her role within ICON Group and what is in store for her over the next 12 months.

Alicia, can you describe your role with Icon Group?

I am the Marketing Business Partner for Asia. I support ICON teams across Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam through effective communication, development of the patient voice and marketing plans, including PR, digital and social media strategy. I work collaboratively with internal and external partners, ensuring they feel supported through communication that reflects the unique cultural landscapes we work in. Every day I help support our teams on the ground to deliver the best care possible to communities in need across our international network in line with Icon’s mission.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of healthcare through the Masters' module and networking at the World Cancer Congress. In my varied roles at Icon, I have been fortunate to connect with many parts of the business and play a role in our significant growth in Asia. Seeing the difference in the standard of cancer care between Australia and other regions in Asia Pacific continues to fuel a desire to learn more, particularly as we focus on communities where cancer care education is lacking. Being able to learn more and meet people who are equally passionate about making a global difference is a real privilege and one that I hope will allow me and others at Icon to elevate our standard of care and make a lasting difference.  

Mark, what made Alicia’s application a stand-out?

Alicia clearly understood the essential relationship between ICON and UICC, identifying how we have an opportunity to affect the global cancer burden as an untied entity. Thanks to her communication skills, she is connecting human stories with the sobering cancer statistics we see on a daily basis. A 70% increase in cancer incidence in South East Asia and China over the next two decades has an immeasurable impact on individuals, families and their communities. Alicia knows that their stories need to be known so we can collectively respond and improve outcomes. Her application spoke to the human aspect of the challenges we are facing and that really resonated with the judging panel.

UICC would like to congratulate Alicia and applauds Icon Group’s initiative to promote professional development and the organisation’s continued commitment to partner with us to help build a stronger cancer workforce and reduce the global cancer burden.