Avril Chester

Avril is an accomplished Chief Technology Officer, an award-winning entrepreneur and a Patron. Recognised as the 18th most influential woman in UK tech by Computer Weekly in 2024, Avril is currently the CTO at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, previously holding the same role at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Her exceptional achievements include founding Cancer Central, an award-winning technology charity and platform now transferred to the Cancer Awareness Trust. Created with thanks to over 300 individuals and 60 organisations donating more than 70,000 hours, Cancer Central supported over 10,000 people to find the support and information they needed. During Covid-19, Cancer Central’s Ask Ave chatbot solution assisted NHS Scotland by handling over 1 million Covid-related enquiries. This partnership empowered NHS Scotland to swiftly expand its capacity, efficiently handling the surge in enquiries during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Founding Partner of the Cancer Awareness Trust, Cancer Central continues to drive innovation in cancer care with practical, technical, and intellectual insights informing the development of Cancer Platform.

Avril is Patron of Your SimPal, the only UK charity providing six months free SIM cards and phones to people affected by ill health and cancer, tackling digital poverty. Additionally, she attends the Steering Committee of the Enhanced Supportive Care (ESC) working group which is part of the UK Association for Supportive Cancer Care (UKASCC), in the role of patient / public representation.