Stellar team to lead fundraising campaign for the Francis Crick Institute

A distinguished group of 16 philanthropists have been appointed to a fundraising campaign board for Cancer Research UK to raise £100m for the Francis Crick Institute – the Create The Change campaign.  The Institute will be the largest biomedical research institute in Europe.

Opening in 2015, its main goal is to use the combined skills of scientists working on cancer and all major diseases to get new discoveries to patients as quickly as possible. Construction is underway in King’s Cross, London at a cost of £650m. This is a partnership of six leading UK scientific and academic organisations — the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, UCL, Imperial College London and King’s College London.

Charles Manby, a senior partner at Goldman Sachs, has been appointed chair of the fundraising board to lead the campaign, which brings together philanthropists from a wide range of disciplines:

• Sherry Coutu CBE, Entrepreneur & Investor serves on Finance Boards of Cambridge University, CUP, Cambridge Assessment, Advisory Board of Linkedin.com
• Lord Fink of Northwood, Chief Executive Officer International Standard Asset Management; former Chief Executive Man Group Plc.
• Michael Geoghegan CBE, Former Group Chief Executive HSBC Holdings Plc.
• David Harding, Founder and President Winton Capital Management
• Richard Hayden, Chairman: Haymarket Financial LLP, Towerbrook Capital Partners Senior Advisory Board
• Ray Kelvin CBE, Founder and Chief Executive Ted Baker Plc.
• Dr Mike Lynch OBE FREng, Co-founder Autonomy Corporation; Founder Invoke Capital
• Patrick McKenna, Founder and Chief Executive Ingenious Media; Chairman Hat Trick Productions
• Helena Morrissey CBE, Chief Executive Newton Investment Management; founder 30% Club
• Lady Palumbo, Founder Foreign Sisters UK; Chairman The Walbrook Club
• Andrew Pisker, Former Group Chief Executive Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein; Founding Partner Richmond Park Partners
• Lee Portnoi, Founder and Former Chairman/Chief Executive TIS Group Plc.
• Sir Martin Sorrell, Group Chief Executive and Founder WPP
• Mark Thompson, Chief Executive New York Times; Former Director-General BBC
• Mark Yallop, UK Group Country Chief Executive Officer UBS; Former Group Chief Operating Officer ICAP Plc.

Charles Manby said: “Medical research, and cancer research in particular, is a cause that’s very close to my heart. I’m delighted to be leading this exciting fundraising campaign, which will mark a milestone for scientific research and Cancer Research UK. The UK punches well above its weight in scientific research and the new Institute will allow this to continue well into the 21st century.”

Sir Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, said: “The Francis Crick Institute will be one of the best places globally for scientific research. The Institute will take new approaches in carrying out biomedical research aimed at speeding up scientific discovery and the application of those discoveries for clinical benefit.  But we need the funds to make this a reality which is why having such an eminent group of people to lead the fundraising campaign is so exciting.”

Michael Pragnell, Chairman of Cancer Research UK, said: “I should like to thank all our board members for the time and commitment they are dedicating to this project of national and international importance. We are immensely grateful and excited about what they bring to this ambitious fundraising campaign. With their expertise, I am confident our target will be achieved.”

In 2012 the campaign received a £10m donation – the largest single gift ever received by Cancer Research UK.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 3469 8300 or, out of hours, 07050 264059.