Accenture CEO Julie Sweet is one of the most powerful executives in the world. Julie she has battled cancer twice. In a recent interview with Fortune, Julie Sweet opened up about her dual battles with cancer and how the experiences shaped her approach to both business and life. Sweet, who leads a global workforce of 770,000, is among global top CEOs, but her journey to the top was anything but traditional. During a discussion on the new Fortune vodcast, “Fortune 500: Titans and Disrupters of Industry,” Sweet shared a personal story of professional triumph and personal struggle. “What’s most remarkable about me being Global CEO is not that I’m the first woman or that I was a lawyer, but I’m actually the first CEO that didn’t start at Accenture out of college,” she stated.Sweet recalled the “incredible moment” in 2014 when she was presented with an opportunity to take on a major leadership role at the company. Just one month later, however, her life was put into sharp perspective when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a mother of young children, the diagnosis prompted her to reflect on her life’s choices. “I asked myself if I had any regrets and I actually felt like I struck the right balance,” she said. This reflection became a guiding principle, a “litmus test” she has used ever since.Accenture CEO Julie Sweet’s second cancer diagnosis Sweet revealed that her second cancer diagnosis, discovered through a self-exam, was a more profound wake-up call. While the first diagnosis was about finding balance, the second was a deeper reflection on long-term health and quality of life. “I want to live a really long life, and I want that to be a quality life,” she told Fortune. Julie said that as a working mom, what went to the wayside the most was a focus on my health. “I really want to encourage women to make sure that they’re getting their mammograms and they’re doing their regular self-exams. Ultimately, because I caught it early, I’m here, and I was able to get through it pretty quickly. But this time around, for me, it was more of a wakeup call than just focusing on my health. It was a reflection on, I want to live a really long life. You get really clear: I want to live a really long life, and I want that to be a quality life,” she said. Inspired by the book Outlive by Peter Attia, she now focuses on actions that will ensure her final years are lived to the fullest. Sweet stressed the importance of self-exams and regular mammograms, noting, “Ultimately, because I caught it early, I’m here.”
