Dedicated experts with a proven record of success.

Deborah Binner │ Director/Trustee

Debbie Binner is a senior communications professional and journalist with over 25 years experience in media and stakeholder engagement.  She is a former TV journalist and presenter and has headed up communications departments for the UK Department for International Development and three NHS health trusts.  As head of her own media agency; she has trained senior teams in the public and private organisations across Europe. She is RADA trained in public speaking and regularly lectures on communications and media issues.  She has a special interest in the health sector. Debbie is a fierce campaigner for better treatment and better access to treatment for children and teenagers with cancer.

Thomas Christély │ Director/Trustee

Thomas is Managing Partner of ARCADUS Pharma GmbH and he brings more than 20 years of experience in business and corporate development and finance. His track record includes concluding multi-million dollar collaborations with big pharma and biotech companies. Mr. Christély was previously CEO of Silence Therapeutics AG, a drug development company with a focus on cancer and became the COO and later the CEO of its listed holding company Silence Therapeutics plc, London.  Prior to this he held the position of Senior VP and CFO at OXO Chemie AG, a Swiss pharmaceutical company with a focus on HIV and cancer, and founded its subsidiary OXO Chemie Inc. in San Francisco. After his studies in Hamburg and Geneva, he received degrees in Business Administration (equivalent to MBA) and Law from the University of Hamburg and the High Court of Hamburg, respectively, and was admitted as attorney-at-law.

Michel Janicot, PhD │ Founder & Director/Trustee

Michel Janicot is the Founder and CEO of JMi ONConsulting, a specialist consulting company in the area of oncology drug development. Michel was previously Senior Director of Oncology at Janssen, where he was responsible for early clinical development of novel oncology drug candidates, scientific licensing and strategic partnering. Prior to this, Michel served as Senior Scientist at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, France and was postdoctoral fellow at The John Hopkins University in Baltimore, US. Michel holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Paris 7, France.

Evie Mengou │ Director/Trustee

Evie Mengou is a seasoned regulatory affairs professional, with over 20 years’ experience in pharmaceutical drug development spanning several therapeutic areas, involving small molecules and biologics, in diverse business and cultural settings. Her most recent pharma appointment focused on commercialisation and partnerships; previously she lead global regulatory strategy and operations.  After such leadership positions in pharma, and several years consultancy experience in a CRO, Evie established her own consultancy to provide strategic regulatory and development advice. Following the introduction of Paediatric Regulation in Europe, she has been involved in leading the preparation, negotiation and execution of paediatric investigation plans and paediatric clinical trials. Evie's exposure to the unmet needs of the paediatric population, particularly in oncology, has driven her wish to improve paediatric drug development through the work of aPODD. She holds an MSc in Biochemical Pharmacology from the University of Southampton, UK.

Beate Wulff, MD │ Founder & Director/Trustee

Dr. Beate Wulff is Senior Paediatric Haematologist/Oncologist and Head of the Early Phase Trials Unit for Paediatric Haemato-Oncology at the University Children´s Hospital in Essen, Gemany. She has comprehensive knowledge in clinical paediatrics as well as in clinical research. Her expertise includes responsibilites as (co-ordinating) investigator in inter-/national clinical paediatric trials as well as profound knowledge in adult and paediatric drug development achieved in the pharmaceutical industry. She was Head of the Clinical Research Department at medac GmbH, Germany, until 2014. She is Co-Founder and Trustee of aPODD foundation and obtained her medical degree at the University of Hamburg, Germany. 

Andy Westwood │ Director/Trustee

Andrew qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 1995 and has held a number of senior finance roles spanning the automotive, textiles, construction and chemical sectors. Currently he is responsible for accounting and administration for the UK, South African and Scandinavian subsidiaries of Atotech, a leading industrial chemicals supplier to the metal finishing and printed circuit board industries. Besides financial accounting and controlling duties he is also responsible for the legal, compliance, company secretarial, HR and IT functions, and plays an active role in the strategic and operational management of the companies under his remit. Andrew’s daughter Imogen was treated for Ewing Sarcoma  and he now sits as a patient advocate on the Euro Ewings Consortium, the principal European research body for Ewings. He is also a member of PORT (Paediatric Oncology Reference Team), a group of parents/survivors of childhood cancer which provides lay reviews of clinical reference documents, and a supporter of Bone Cancer Research Trust. Andrew and his family are long-time supporters of Teenage Cancer Trust.

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