The sense of insecurity resulting from losing her mother at a young age became the driving force behind Susan Bates' determination to excel. During her secondary school years, she was an outstanding student, consistently ranking at the top of her class. After graduating high school, she entered a prestigious women's college on a scholarship. In her sophomore year, Bates enrolled in a computer science class and was immediately captivated by the subject. However, since her college did not offer a full computer science degree, she was compelled to transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she became one of only two female students in the computer science program.
In 1992, the day after Bates was appointed CEO of Autodesk, fate dealt her a harsh blow: she was diagnosed with breast cancer. For most women, such news would be a devastating shock, but the 44-year-old Bates refused to be defeated. She requested that her doctors postpone surgery for one month, using that time to select her core management team and prepare for a critical address to the entire company. Near the end of the meeting, she gathered all employees and informed them that she would be undergoing a mastectomy and would return to work in a month. True to her word, Bates returned to the company just one month after surgery. For the next seven months, she balanced her demanding job with chemotherapy. Through sheer willpower and unwavering confidence, Bates conquered the disease, and nearly 20 years later, she remains cancer-free.