CTF Europe - Board of Directors - Children's Tumor Foundation

Annette Bakker, PhD

Vice Chair

New York, NY

Annette Bakker, the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, holds a PhD in cell biology from the University of Antwerp. Her past experience includes serving as Oncology Group Leader at Janssen Pharmaceutica, and postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University and La Salpetriere, Paris.

Before joining the Children’s Tumor Foundation, Dr. Bakker served as head of the Oncology R&D department for a biotech company in Siena, Tuscany. While there, she designed and created a neuro-oncology department from the ground up, and managed large oncology research initiatives both nationally (Italian networks) and internationally (European and Asian networks).

Dr. Bakker’s research has been internationally recognized by more than 30 peer-reviewed papers, patents, and awards, and she has extensive experience liaising and negotiating with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

In her role at the Children’s Tumor Foundation, Annette and her team will continue to build a strong NF community, design and execute innovative business models to accelerate the path from basic discovery to clinical benefit for NF patients, develop partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and attract new scientists and funders to the NF field.

Annette is originally from Belgium, and speaks four languages (English, French, Dutch, and Italian). She lives happily in Westchester, NY with her family.

Sabine Moravi

Vice Chair

Sabine Moravi’s pharmaceutical journey spans over two decades, marked by her steadfast purpose, deep empathy for patients, and the joy of being a mother to three wonderful children.

Sabine’s journey has taken her through the full spectrum of the pharmaceutical industry, from navigating the intricacies of both large-cap corporations to nimble start-ups. She’s thrived in various ownership structures, ranging from publicly listed giants to private equity-backed enterprises and family-owned firms. However, it was during her eighteen years at Novartis that Sabine found her stride, humbly propelled by her commitment to excellence. She held roles such as General Manager Oncology in Austria and General Manager Oncology in the Czech Republic. In the United States, she played a pivotal role in sales and marketing, always keeping patient care at the forefront. Additionally, she made meaningful contributions in Investor Relations at Novartis’ global headquarters in Switzerland and the corporate office in New York.

Sabine’s dedication to the pharmaceutical industry extends beyond her professional journey; she passionately advocates for patient-centric healthcare solutions, driven by her profound empathy for those in need. Her tireless efforts to enhance patients’ lives have been a guiding force throughout her career.

Outside her professional life, Sabine derives immense fulfillment from being a devoted mother to three exceptional children. She humbly recognizes her ability to balance her pharmaceutical leadership with her nurturing role at home, hoping it might serve as an inspiration to professionals seeking to make a meaningful impact while embracing a harmonious life.

Samia Arslane

Director

Born in France, Samia moved to California in the late nineties to study Graphic Design. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communications in Fine Arts, her passion for fashion led her to GENLUX Magazine. In 2005, she was part of the team that launched GENLUX, where she initially served as its fashion editor. Then in 2008, she took on the role of the magazine’s Editor in Chief.

In 2021, Samia decided to be closer to her parents. She is now splitting her time between Los Angeles and Luxembourg, where her parents reside. She also joined her father’s real estate company, Immodun.

Samia’s connection with the Children’s Tumor Foundation is her little brother, Mehdi, who was diagnosed with NF1 when he was a child. Sadly, Mehdi passed away in 2018 after suffering from cancer, a direct result of NF. After his passing, she promised herself to keep his memory alive by spreading awareness on NF.

Magda Chlebus

Director

– Brussels, Belgium

Magda Chlebus is Executive Director Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), representing the R&D-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe.

Magda and her team are in charge of following policy and legislative developments that influence the research and regulatory environments for the healthcare industry in Europe. This includes public private collaborations (inter alia the Innovative Medicines Initiative), enabling and sensitive technologies and the interface between new science and technology and regulation.

She joined EFPIA in 1995. Her experience covers public and government affairs mainly at EU level, on a range of legislative and non-legislative files in the area of research, development and access to medicines and enabling technologies.

Magda, a Polish national, holds a Master Degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Warsaw.

Nikola Gazdov

Director

Nikola was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria. He studied at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich, Germany and at The University of Birmingham in UK. His professional experience in the field of renewable power has led him to do business in many European countries. Nikola is Executive Director at Enery Element GmbH, an Austrian company developing utility scale solar and storage projects in the region of Southeast Europe. He is also the owner and CEO of Renergy, an engineering company with more than 10 000 MW of renewable power projects designed worldwide.

For more than a decade Nikola has been a member at SolarPower Europe – the Brussels based business association of the solar industry in Europe. Currently he is a member of the Strategy Committee and of several task forces at SolarPower Europe. In 2009 Nikola co-founded the Bulgarian Photovoltaic Association and served as its first Chairman for a four-year tenure. In 2019 he co-founded the Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity and currently servs as Chairman of the Board. In addition to his professional activities, Nikola is also a Board member at CSKA 1948 – a top-tier professional football club from Sofia, owned and managed by its supporters.

Nikola is a strong believer that we can end NF. He is passionate about supporting CTF in achieving its goal to provide the best scientists, researchers, and clinicians with the support they need, in order to find a cure against NF.

Richard Horvitz

Director

Richard Horvitz is Chairman of Moreland Management Company, a closely-held private family investment office. An attorney by training, Mr. Horvitz worked at Baker & Hostetler’s Cleveland office before joining his family’s operating businesses, since sold.

He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Tumor Foundation since 1996. He was recently named as a director to Cupid Charities, Inc.

Richard was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He received his AB with honors in Economics from Princeton University in 1975, and received his JD from Duke University School of Law in 1978. He is a member of both the Florida and Ohio bars.

In addition to his work with the Children’s Tumor Foundation, Mr. Horvitz serves as an officer and a trustee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; as a Life Trustee of the Board of University School (an independent country day school in Cleveland where he also serves on the Investment Committee); and as a member of the University Hospitals Emeritus Leadership Council after serving for 16 years on the Board of Directors of University Hospitals of Cleveland Case Medical Center. Mr. Horvitz is a life member of the Board of Visitors of Duke University School of Law.

Mr. Horvitz is married to Erica Hartman-Horvitz. He has two children, Danielle and Matthew, from his marriage to his late wife, Marcy Rochelle Horvitz, a step-daughter, Ashley, a granddaughter, Arabella Juliet Weiner, as well as another granddaughter on the way.

Simone Manso

Director

Zurich, Switzerland

Simone is passionate about advancing treatments for NF and he is actively involved in various research initiatives. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of both CTF and CTF Europe.

Simone is an Italian citizen living in Zurich, Switzerland, where he works as Head of Neurofibromatosis Therapy Development at Healx, an AI-powered biotech company accelerating the discovery and development of treatments for rare diseases. He previously held various senior HR positions in the financial and biotech sectors.

Simone grew up in Italy and has lived in Portugal, Ireland, and, for the last 12 years, in Switzerland. He is a psychologist by education and he has an Executive M.B.S. in Human Resource Strategies from DCU College in Dublin.

Simone and his wife, Giovanna, have three kids: Diego, Elisa and Emma.

Stuart Match Suna

Director

Stuart Match Suna is co-owner, along with his brother, Alan Suna, of Silvercup Studios. Well known for its iconic sign visible from the East River, Silvercup Studios has been home to famed television productions, including Sex and the City and The Sopranos, 30 Rock, Gossip Girl, as well as dozens of major motion pictures including When Harry Met Sally and The Devil Wears Prada, and hundreds of commercials.

Current productions at Silvercup include Girls, Elementary, Madam Secretary, and Mister Robot. Founded in 1983, Silvercup Studios currently operates more than 400,000 square feet of studio space in two facilities in Long Island City and one in the Bronx.

Stuart is a trained architect and experienced real estate developer of more than 2,000 residential units throughout NYC, as well as 500,000 square feet of commercial space. He also is a principal in Metro Management Development, a real estate management firm with more than 25,000 units in its portfolio.

Playing an integral role among numerous television and film production industry organizations, Stuart is a founder and Chair of the Hamptons International Film Festival, and Vice Chair of The New York Production Alliance. He has lobbied successfully in support of tax incentives that retain and attract production work in New York State and New York City.

Among his other cultural affiliations, Stuart is President of Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City and Vice Chair of the Museum of Moving Image.

Stuart is a board member for a number of influential business and civic groups, including the Real Estate Board of NY and the Partnership for NYC. Lastly, he is Chair Emeritus of the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Sissy Windisch

Director

Passionate about impact and technology, Sissy has a strong background in digital health. In her role as CFO at Blue Square, a leading digital company in global health, she accompanied the fast growth of the company. Its solutions range from geospatial data management, financing information systems, healthcare logistics to hosting amongst others.

Previously, she launched and grew a FinTech company, which led to a strategic partnership with the Triodos Bank. An economist by training, she worked as an energy trader and consultant in her early career.

Sissy is also a Board Member of the European Commission’s Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.

Europe Board of Directors & Staff

Annette Bakker, PhD

Sabine Moravi

Samia Arslane

Magda Chlebus

Nikola Gazdov

Richard Horvitz

Simone Manso

Stuart Match Suna

Sissy Windisch

Marco Nievo, PhD

Dariusz Adamczewski, MD

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