Richard Vines Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2017

Richard Vines

Richard attended University of Melbourne where he studied Maths and Statistics. He then trained as an Actuary but was seduced by the fledgling IT industry before qualifying. After several years of employment in software development Richard formed his own company and developed and sold software applications primarily to the legal profession in Australia. After selling his company in 1990 Richard relocated to Europe where he established a second company supplying practice management software to law firms and associated trust companies. Richard sold this business in 1996 and returned to Australia where he was retained by an American company to establish a sales channel in southern Australia. In 2001 Richard left the IT industry and has since worked in a number of not for profits variously associated with retail, politics and health. In 2012 Richard and his wife, Kate, established Rare Cancers Australia (RCA), 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.