Our patrons and trustees

Eleanor’s career in Human Resources, includes roles as Chief HR Officer for global, UK listed companies.

Her appointment as Trustee, achieves a long-held ambition to support the Charity, following the loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer in 2013.

“We had no experience of pancreatic cancer as a family, so the prognosis was very difficult to understand and accept. How is it possible that survival rates have barely improved in 50 years?

Also, we had the complexity of finding specialist help in West Wales. Knowledge and resources were limited, and we received invaluable support from the nurses at Pancreatic Cancer UK.

As well as helping the Charity through my own lived experiences, I will bring my background in developing skilled and characterful organisations with a shared passion and purpose.

Those with pancreatic cancer deserve far better odds. I am proud to be part of a team committed to making this happen.”

Anne is a qualified Chartered Accountant, FCA, with more than 25 years of Board level experience. She has extensive experience of the private, public, charitable and social enterprise sectors, and has worked in many business sectors, including banking, manufacturing, automotive, business services and healthcare, for UK and multinational groups.

Anne has a portfolio of independent non-executive roles and specialises in corporate governance, audit committees, risk management and financial strategy. Her current portfolio includes Vice Chair of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust & Council Member at Swansea University.

Anne said: “I lost my husband to pancreatic cancer, also a close business colleague. I am so happy to be joining the Board of Pancreatic Cancer UK, giving me the opportunity to make a contribution to fighting this dreadful disease and supporting those people and their families who are suffering from it.”

Greg is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer, having lived and worked in Canada, Singapore, China and the UK over the course of his career.  He is currently the Deputy General Counsel of AstraZeneca, based in Cambridge.  During his time at AZ, he also served as a Non-Executive Director for its Bombay and National Stock Exchange listed business in India.  Greg holds a Bachelor of Commerce specialist degree (B.Comm) from the University of Toronto and a law degree (LLB) from Queen’s University in Canada.​

“My father died recently from pancreatic cancer and from the time of his diagnosis, I was struck by the poor prognosis and relative lack of treatment options for most patients as well as the heavy toll the disease takes on family, friends and caregivers.   As a result, I feel very personally connected to the fight against pancreatic cancer.  I believe that with my experience, I make a meaningful contribution and that by working with the team at Pancreatic Cancer UK, we can make a real difference.” ​

Katie is a Strategy Consultant who has spent the last 13 years working with some of the world’s biggest healthcare, entertainment, and telco brands, along with charities, universities and Governments, to make new products and services, embrace change, innovate and get creative.

“I lost my dad to Pancreatic Cancer when he was in his early 50s. Not long after, my granny also died from it. The speed of disease progression, and the impact on our family was enormous.

So many years later, I was shocked to find that survival rates have improved so little. I am determined to use the skills and experience that I have to drive real change and better outcomes, so that fewer families have to face such a challenging period and devastating loss as we did.”

Neil has worked in healthcare strategy, communications and campaigning for 20 years, with charities, the NHS, medical bodies, businesses and in politics. He’s currently working with the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust to develop a South London wide mental health prevention and recovery programme.

Before that he was Director of Strategy and Engagement at MQ, the UK’s leading mental health research charity – having helped to launch and establish the charity, as member of its founding Executive team.

Neil said: “Pancreatic cancer is cause very close to my heart. 26 years ago, my mother died from pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, aged just 49. I’m honoured and excited to be working with Pancreatic Cancer UK to help drive forward much-needed progress for every person affected by this devastating condition and their families.”

“My late husband, Alan Rickman died in January 2016. By the time his cancer was discovered, it was inoperable.  So, I am very keen on understanding any developments that might lead to better screening and earlier diagnosis.

Following a degree in Physiology and Biochemistry and a research position, I changed careers and taught economics at two universities in applied microeconomics with particular focus on public sector economics.

A great love is politics and I served as a councillor for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, St Charles ward in North Kensington for twenty years. I have served on a number of public sector Boards and I since 1988 I have been the Chair of Governors for Barlby Primary School, a North Kensington community school.

Another passion is the arts – especially theatre and film.”

Iain is an engaged and engaging leader who has worked with a number of medical research charities over the years. He has a proven track record in innovation, organisational strategy development and delivery.

He believes passionately that international collaborative research, appropriately funded and managed, brings benefits to patients through more accurate and faster diagnosis, kinder treatments with fewer side-effects and an improved quality and quantity of life. He is keen to continue supporting charities and other funders to improve the research environment and quality of  research funded to enable the benefits from research to get to patients more effectively.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board at this exciting time for Pancreatic Cancer UK. I have long admired the work of the charity for those affected by pancreatic cancer and its newly launched strategy is bold, ambitious and importantly, achievable. The enthusiasm of the Pancreatic Cancer UK staff to deliver the successful outcomes needed is infectious and I am looking forward to bringing my expertise and enthusiasm to the Board and wider team to support them in their endeavours.”

Jeremy Hand has built a successful career supporting leadership teams and growing exceptional businesses. As well as founding and growing several of his own companies, he brings huge experience at the intersect of strategy, successful execution and impact.

Jeremy said: “5 years ago, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Today, I am completely clear and proud to be joining the board of trustees at Pancreatic Cancer UK to help tackle this most fatal of all cancers.”