Blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan has announced its new Chair of the Trustee Board. Nicola Horlick, regarded as one of the country’s top businesswomen and a leading investment fund manager, was appointed Chair-Elect at the charity’s board meeting on Thursday 21 January.
Nicola joins Anthony Nolan at a time when the charity has continued to respond to challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, Brexit and border closures to ensure lifesaving stem cells continue to be delivered to blood cancer patients who desperately need them to survive. The charity has worked with hospitals and partners so that planned stem cell donations can go ahead including by cryopreserving stem cells and working with international couriers to get stem cells on freight flights in and out of the UK.
Nicola’s priority will be to work with charity’s Chief Executive, Henny Braund, as it begins a journey of renewal to be there for families now and in the future with a strong and diversified income portfolio. She brings a wealth of experience, cultivated across multiple sectors and a huge passion for the work of Anthony Nolan and the impact that the voluntary sector has on society. She has a personal connection; her eldest daughter Georgie sadly died aged 12, after receiving a bone marrow transplant to treat leukaemia at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Nicola, who became a trustee of the charity at today’s board meeting, set up Bramdean Asset Management LLP in 2004. In 2011, she was one of the founding partners of Rockpool Investments. She went on to co-found Money&Co., which provides finance to small companies in the UK, in 2013. She is the author of the book ‘Can You Really Have It All?’.
Nicola says:
“I am delighted to have been appointed as the Chair Elect of Anthony Nolan. I have known the charity for many years and have had a personal insight into the valuable work that it does.
‘Today, Anthony Nolan is a very sizeable organisation employing over 300 people and with income of in excess of £55 million. My task will be to help the team take it to the next level and I believe that there is a very exciting future.’
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan says:
“Nicola’s personal knowledge of the world families are thrust into, when a loved one is told they need a stem cell transplant to cure their blood cancer or blood disorder, means she will passionately champion Anthony Nolan’s work in her new role as Chair. This, coupled with her wealth of experience in the corporate sector and in the field of finance, gives me absolute confidence in our ability to realise the charity’s goals, together.
“I look forward to working closely with Nicola to ensure that we deliver our strategy and that patients in need of lifesaving stem cell transplants get the support they need. We’ll push our fundraising and income generation further; continue our innovative scientific programmes and recruit the right donors to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register so we can save more lives.”
Nicola will take on official duties as Chair at the Anthony Nolan board meeting of Trustees in July when Ian Krieger, who has successfully helped to steer and guide the organisation as Chair since January 2018, stands down.
Find out more about Anthony Nolan’s work at www.anthonynolan.org