“This isn’t just a job to me. It’s much more than that”

When Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Chief Executive, Hilary Evans-Newton, joined 10 years ago, she set out to do one thing – change the lives of everyone affected by dementia.

Following a decade at the charity, Hilary finally feels this goal is within reach, and she couldn’t be more excited about the future for dementia research after a momentous year.

To mark her 10-year anniversary, and this turning point in dementia research, we’ve asked Hilary about her life, her time at the charity and what’s next.

So, where did you start your career?

I had originally planned to work outdoors as I loved being outside, and I hadn’t considered further education as no one in previous generations in my family had been to university.

However, I ended up studying Politics at Exeter University. I was always motivated by trying to change things, fix issues and help those who needed it most. The day after I graduated, I started working in parliament for a newly elected MP who was appointed as Minister for International Development. From there, I went to a public affairs agency, leading big health campaigns.

I soon realised I needed to be closer to issues that I really cared about and which motivated me – and that was only going to be possible in the voluntary sector. I moved to Age UK – known then as Age Concern – as their Government Affairs Manager, where I worked on every public policy issue that impacts older people. I stayed there for seven years and progressed through the organisation, eventually becoming Head of Campaigns and Public Affairs. I loved the role and the charity. We had some really big wins, including in 2010 when we got one of the biggest spending commitments by the Government to shift the pension age for women.

 

 

 

What made you want to join Alzheimer’s Research UK?

I was looking for a new challenge and when the opportunity at Alzheimer’s Research UK came up, it felt perfect on all fronts.

It was a cause that was personally really important to me. Three of my grandparents died with dementia when I was a teenager, and I was very involved in their care. I’d clean their houses at the weekend when they were at home and would later go to the care home to paint my grandma’s nails each week. It was awful to see the impact dementia had on my family, and it’s stayed with me. At my grandad’s funeral, my grandma didn’t know where she was or that we had lost Grandad. At one point she even mistook my dad for Grandad – it was heartbreaking.

The role also excited me professionally. Back then, no one was talking about dementia research or that dementia was caused by diseases. People tended to believe that nothing could be done, and there was also a massive stigma. I could see so many opportunities – that was a massive motivator. I have always been motivated by a challenge and ability to do something impactful and exciting, and I saw in this role a chance to change lives.

What has changed in dementia research over the past 10 years?

The exciting news around the promising new Alzheimer’s drugs lecanemab and donanemab highlights just how far we’ve come in 10 years.

When I joined, it was widely felt by the public that dementia was just an inevitable part of getting older.

So, the fact that we now have these treatments that have been proven to slow down Alzheimer’s is incredible. It shows the science has been delivering and we’re now seeing the breakthroughs that will transform lives.

 

 

How did you feel when you heard the news about the drug breakthroughs?

I’m an optimist, and I have faith in the research that has been developing in recent years, so hearing the news of the first drug breakthroughs was a wonderful moment. For me it was the start of the next chapter for us all. We have the proof point that our hope had been carrying us to. But a cure is the endgame – so there’s plenty more for us to do.

What has been your proudest moment at the charity?

This is such a tough question, as there are so many to pick from! But there are a few things that stand out.

The work we did around the Defeat Dementia campaign, which Lord Cameron, the then-Prime Minister and our former President, launched at the G7 in 2014, was brilliant. It was hugely ambitious, but it paid off as it really put Alzheimer’s Research UK on the map. Then to be asked this year to be the Co-Chair of the government’s Dementia Mission Chair this year was very special.

Another real highlight that stands out has been working with our supporters, people who have been personally impacted by dementia. A number of these people have become friends and sadly some of them are no longer with us. But it’s their stories, and their belief in who we are, that has got us to where we are today.

 

 

What’s your life like outside of work?

Busy! I’m a mum to three children under 6, so it can be challenging juggling my work life and my personal life. I love being outside, so at the moment we try and get the children out for walks or exploring in the woods near us, no matter what the weather!

Exercise is something I enjoy although I don’t do as much as I’d like. My switch off is gardening with a podcast to listen to!

Have you found it hard to juggle being a Chief Executive and a mum to a young family?

I am trying, like many people, to get the balance right between life and work. It’s not been easy, because essentially my life is work and children. I’ve had to blend the two together – from breastfeeding in board meetings, to talking in my son’s school about dementia research instead of being at a particular parents meeting because of work commitments. I’ve had to make sacrifices, but I wouldn’t change it, because I love my job and I love my children.

I’m in a leadership position, so I’ve tried to help address the challenges working parents face, like the ability to work flexibility, driven by my own experiences. There is still more to do for working parents, but I have already seen a big shift in the six years since I’ve had children and I’m proud of how Alzheimer’s Research UK supports our employees to balance their work and life commitments.

I’m driven by the hope that I won’t have to go through dementia with my parents, and I certainly hope that my children won’t have to go through that with me.

Who inspires you?

Our supporters are huge inspiration to me. It’s their stories, and their hopes for research, that drive me in everything I do. So, I absolutely love getting to meet supporters and hear from them directly, and also to cheer them on at events like the London Marathon.

And some of my biggest inspirations are people in my family. I grew up around lots of passionate people who were all in their own way trying to change the world. My aunt, in particular, has been a big influence on me – going from leaving school at a young age, to attending university in her 40’s, becoming a barrister, and then a member of the House of Lords, and latterly a leading campaigner for women in the justice system.

What’s next for you?

It’s a massive privilege to be Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK and while I’ve been here 10 years, I feel I still have so much to offer and contribute. Because for me, we’re just at the start of what I want to do when I joined, which was, and still is, to change the lives of people affected by dementia.

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, the focus has to be on getting the treatments that are coming to people who need them, as quickly as possible. There isn’t a bigger motivator than that.

I’m driven by the hope that I won’t have to go through dementia with my parents, and I certainly hope that my children won’t have to go through that with me.

This isn’t just a job to me, it’s much more than that.