Arnoud Huisman and Mark Krul join the Oncode Accelerator Foundation Board of Directors

The team of the Oncode Accelerator Foundation is rapidly expanding now that many agreements have been signed and the actual work is about to start. Next to a number of new program managers and business developers, the Oncode Accelerator foundation welcomes Arnoud Huisman and Mark Krul to its board. They will build upon the work of Tale Sliedrecht, who left the program given that the start-up phase is almost finished, and Friso Smit, who will continue his role as member of the board. 

‘As we will now start focusing more on the demonstrator projects, we need a strong background in business development and a large network in oncology, biotech and pharma’, Fred Dom, chairman of the Supervisory Board explains. ‘Both Arnoud and Mark fit that profile perfectly and I’m confident that, together with Friso, they will bring the program to the next level.’

As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and chairman of the board, Arnoud will focus on the acquisition of demonstrator projects and co-funding. As Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Mark will oversee the scientific quality of demonstrator projects. Together with Friso as Chief Operating Officer (COO), responsible for the operational delivery within the program, the three of them form the Board of Directors as of 1 January 2024.

Arnoud is eager to contribute to the program, ‘which has the potential to be disruptive’, he states. ‘Translating science into value, both for the patient as well as for society, is what has driven me in my work in the past decades.’ Previously, Arnoud was Managing Director of the Innovation Campus Berlin and Chief Strategy Officer of Nuvisan, a contract R&D and manufacturing organization (CRO/CDMO) in drug development. 

Mark currently has several roles as a Director in the biotech sector, among which are Aglaia Oncology Funds, Inthera Bioscience and Sapreme Technologies, several of which he also co-founded. ‘The setting and aim of Oncode Accelerator perfectly match with my personal goals and ambitions’, he says. ‘I want to make the maximum impact in the fight against cancer with the experience and expertise I have.’ What does he think of the complex nature of the Oncode Accelerator program? ‘You can’t force people to collaborate. But you can achieve a fruitful collaboration by motivating the parties to respect each other’s personalities and contributions, and by explaining the joint benefits of a successful collaboration.’