Brooks Bell Inc. CEO Brooks Bell Transitions to Executive Chairman Following Cancer Diagnosis

RALEIGH, N.C. - March 7, 2019 - PRLog -- Brooks Bell Inc., the technology-enabled consultancy helping global brands build remarkable customer experiences through testing and personalization, today announced that Brooks Bell, founder and CEO, will step into the role of Executive Chairman. Bell was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in January, leading to the decision to elevate her role to Executive Chairman where she will chair the board and focus on the strategic direction of the company. Brooks Bell Inc. President Naoshi Yamauchi will serve as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent CEO.

"Though the cancer is treatable with surgery and chemotherapy, the best course of action for me moving forward is to delegate the day to day operations of the company so that I can focus on my health and the areas of the business I most enjoy—thought leadership and strategy," said Bell. "Naoshi has been with Brooks Bell for 10 years, and has my full trust in his ability to successfully lead the company. Our clients are in good hands."

"It's important to the company that Brooks prioritize her health, so I'm pleased to step in," said Yamauchi. "We have an incredible group of employees at Brooks Bell doing excellent work so that Brooks can smoothly transition into her new role."

Bell has also announced the launch of a new campaign to raise awareness of young-onset colon cancer and encourage people to ask questions about their family history, pay attention to their symptoms, and be proactive about getting colonoscopies.

"Colon cancer doesn't get the same level of attention as other cancers because of the associated stigmas," said Bell, "and yet the American Cancer Society recently announced that since 1994, colon cancer diagnoses in young adults is up over 50 percent. Now, one in 10 are diagnosed before the age of 50, per the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.  When people hear about my cancer diagnosis, I don't want pity; I want action. I want them to question whether they should get a colonoscopy and be proactive about it."

The campaign is called 50 Colonoscopies Under 50, with a goal of celebrating young people who have gotten screened and help challenge stigmas associated with the procedure. More information is available at www.50colonoscopiesunder50.org.

Brooks will be sharing her story and speaking about the campaign tomorrow, March 9, as part of the opening ceremony for the Get Your Rear in Gear - Raleigh 5K Walk/Run taking place at Wake Med Soccer Park. The ceremony will begin at 8:30am and will be followed by the walk/run. Proceeds from the race will fund programs to increase colon and rectal cancer awareness and screening, and provide support for those locally who are currently living with the disease.

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About Brooks Bell Inc.

Founded in 2003, Brooks Bell is the leading experimentation consultancy solely dedicated to helping leading global brands build world-class testing and personalization programs with impact. In the last four years, Brooks Bell has generated over $1 billion in revenue for clients, whether that's through high-velocity experimentation, personalization or foundational data-driven culture change. Brooks Bell's cross-functional team has taught clients to become masters of their own experimentation success by  discovering the people behind the data and creating a culture that asks, "did you test that?" www.brooksbell.com