Senior Leadership Team

Dr Michele Afif – CEO

As a former Consultant Paediatrician with a special interest in Paediatric Oncology, I have a long experience of looking after children diagnosed with all forms of cancer, including brain tumours. Whilst I witnessed improvements in the care and outcomes for other tumour types, no amount of training can prepare you for the realities of looking after a child with a brain tumour or the profound impact this diagnosis has on each affected person and those around them. I came to The Brain Tumour Charity because, mirrored in The Charity’s ceaseless quest towards finding a cure and reducing the harms associated with this cruel set of diseases, I could see my own passion to overturn the entrenched narrative around brain tumours and fundamentally improve outcomes. A skilled communicator, I intend to use my particular combination of leadership, legal and clinical expertise to add momentum to The Charity’s drive towards the unashamedly ambitious goals of doubling survival and halving the harm, and in so doing, pay lasting and meaningful tribute to the courage and fortitude of all those who have lived with that diagnosis, or been lost to it.

Gina Almond – Director of Fundraising

After a career spanning over 20 years’ in the global commercial world within the media and publishing environment, I joined The Brain Tumour Charity from Blind Veterans UK, where as Head of Income Generation I built a team from scratch to implement a new five-year growth strategy. Introducing several new creative initiatives including DRTV and face-to-face fundraising, I was instrumental in growing the income by £2.8m in 2 years (from £25.3 to £28.1m) and ensured the first two quarters of 2020 were the charity’s most successful for fundraising in the last five years. Previous to this role, I held a number of significant posts in the publishing sector, including Global Marketing Director for Taylor and Francis as part of their senior executive team. My role as The Brain Tumour Charity’s Director of Fundraising and Marketing has a remit to lead and grow primarily digital-first fundraising and marketing teams in order to raise money and awareness. These teams span all areas of supporter engagement including trusts and foundations, legacies, corporate partnerships, philanthropy, special events and challenges, It is a shock to many people when they discover that brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40. The ambition of The Charity to double survival and halve the harm that brain tumours cause, and the unapologetic speed with which they want to achieve these aims, is inspirational, and I am looking forward to harnessing this passion and drive of the team to generate the awareness and income that this disease deserves.

Catherine Fraher – Director of Services and Digital Health

Thousands of people every year have their lives turned upside down by a brain tumour diagnosis. My job is to make sure The Brain Tumour Charity is here to support each and every one of them in the most effective way, whenever and however they turn to us. That means embracing digital technology without abandoning our personal approach, which is obviously easier said than done – but we embrace a challenge I came to The Brain Tumour Charity from Age UK, where we harnessed technology to transform and expand the charity’s services, resulting a huge increase in the number of older people and families accessing support (and six awards!). No-one can deliver that kind of change on their own or without listening to and empowering the people who matter most – the ones who need and use support services. I’ve always been a passionate advocate of collaboration and the importance of inspiring a community to deliver a shared goal, whether that’s in the charity sector or at the commercial organisations where I’ve had senior roles, including eBay, Guardian Media Group and the Financial Times. More than anything, I’m a problem-solver. Show me an obstacle to better-quality services and I’ll find a way through it or around it.

Liam Heffernan – Director of Finance & Governance

I joined The Brain Tumour Charity because it has set unashamedly ambitious goals of doubling survival and halving the harm caused by brain tumours. Furthermore, it goes about achieving those aims by challenging everyone to be the best they can be and making the charity as effective as possible. I’m a Chartered Accountant with over twenty years’ experience in industry, most recently leading finance for a $1.5 billion turnover global electronics distributor through a business transformation. Transformation is a crucial aspect for all organisations these days, as technology accelerates the rate of change, and managing that process requires skill and judgement. I’m keen to play my part in the journey of driving the transformation in the treatment and care of those with Brain Tumours. I love the challenge of working with a great team to do amazing things, which is why the opportunity to join The Brain Tumour Charity was one I couldn’t refuse.

Cameron Miller – Director of Policy & Strategy

I re-joined the organisation in 2023 because it was such an exciting time in its history and I wanted to help drive forwards our ambitious goals towards 2030. I have spent nearly 20 years working in politics, life sciences and influencing. Initially getting involved in the Labour Party at university, I went on to volunteer for Helen Clark and the New Zealand Labour Party during the 2008 General Election, before coming back to work for a backbench Labour MP and on Ed Miliband’s leadership election campaign. Following this I decided to hear first-hand what people were experiencing within the NHS and worked in support for The Patients Association and then directly with the brain tumour community at the newly merged The Brain Tumour Charity. Having spent many years listening to those issues, I moved back into policy and advocacy roles, utilising the information that I gained during my time working with the community on the challenges that they faced. I have subsequently spent four years working in industry, working in-house and at an agency, helping to bring new treatments to market and environment shaping alongside patient organisations, government bodies and other key stakeholders. There is still so much work to do to ensure that those diagnosed with a brain tumour live longer and better lives.