Farewell to Associate Professor Puma Sundaresan

Last Friday night was a special evening for Head and Neck Cancer Australia (HANCA), marking the end of an era as we farewelled Associate Professor Puma Sundaresan. After an extraordinary eight years of dedicated service—four as a Board Director and four as Chair—Puma’s final term on the HANCA Board has come to a close.

Puma joined HANCA in 2017, becoming part of the original leadership team alongside Jonathan Clark and Founding Directors Carsten Palme, Bruce Ashford, and Ardalan Ebrahimi when the charity was known as Beyond Five. Puma played a pivotal role in developing HANCA’s library of resources including fact sheets, videos and educational animations, freely available for patients, carers, families, and healthcare professionals on the HANCA website.

Throughout her tenure, Puma’s deep clinical expertise and strong professional networks have been invaluable in connecting HANCA with the broader Head and Neck Cancer community to maintain the accuracy and currency of HANCA’s resources. Puma also helped establish a rigorous review process of HANCA's resources through the HANCA Clinical Advisory Committee.

Recognising the importance of lived experience and committed to engaging with the broader Head and Neck Cancer community, Puma led the creation of HANCA’s Community Advisory Committee. This group ensures that the voices of people affected by Head and Neck Cancer are heard, represented, and reflected in all HANCA’s work.

Puma contributed to a variety of initiatives during her eight years with Head and Neck Cancer Australia. Some highlights include:

• Representing the Head and Neck Cancer community at HANCA’s first Parliamentary event in Canberra in March 2023 and launching two Commonwealth-funded resources:
  • The Changing Face of Head and Neck Cancer – an accredited education module for GPs and dentists.
  • What to Expect Next– a guide for newly diagnosed patients.
• Partnering with the Australian Dental Association to deliver a national webinar on the early signs of Head and Neck Cancer and the critical role of dentists in early detection and referral.
• Raising awareness through national media, including a feature interview with Fran Kelly and former patient Lora Winter on ABC Radio Sydney, promoting prevention and early diagnosis.
• The translation of HANCA’s library of 3D educational animations into 9 languages, improving access for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, funded by Merck Australia.
• Participating in HANCA’s #SoupfortheSoul event at Rushcutters Bay in Sydney, aired nationally on Channel Seven’s Sunrise, helping to raise awareness and bringing together the Head and Neck Cancer
• Advocating for and supporting the successful launch in March 2025 of Australia’s first Head and Neck Cancer Helpline, a vital support service funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and part of the broader Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program.

A Legacy of Good Governance

Puma’s leadership as Chair was defined by her unwavering commitment to strong governance, strategic foresight, and organisational integrity. She brought a clear vision for HANCA’s future and worked tirelessly with the Board and CEO to strengthen its governance framework, implement robust risk management systems to support long term sustainability and fostered a culture of collaborative leadership, empowering both the Board and HANCA team to contribute meaningfully to HANCA’s mission.

Puma’s legacy is one of compassion, collaboration, and unwavering dedication to the Head and Neck Cancer community.

Her ability to balance clinical insight with governance has been instrumental in shaping HANCA into the trusted, patient-centred organisation it is today, aligned with the needs of the Head and Neck Cancer community.

We extend our deepest thanks to Puma for her remarkable service. Her leadership has left a lasting imprint on HANCA and the lives of countless individuals and families across Australia.