Our Management Team

Experienced and committed individuals lead our team and together we are focused on finding a cure

GET TO KNOW OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM

Dan Knowles

Dan Knowles

Chief Executive

Dan joined the charity in September 2023, having previously been CEO of Oxfordshire Mind for seven years. He started his career in strategy consultancy, has worked with corporates including Pepsi and John Lewis, and is the founder of an Oxford-based social enterprise.

Dan studied Biology at the University of Oxford and the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.

A father-of-two, Dan lives in South Oxfordshire and has a personal reason to join our cause, having lost three family friends to brain tumours in two years.

Dr Karen Noble

Dr Karen Noble

Director of Research, Policy and Innovation

Karen has 20 years of grants and research management experience, combined with an impressive track record of delivery, gained from her time working in the life sciences sector. She has held senior management roles at the Wellcome Trust, with the NHS Cancer Programme and at Cancer Research UK. 

She has delivered strategic and policy reviews and led the design, development and implementation of new grant schemes and initiatives. Whilst at Cancer Research UK, in her role as Head of Cancers of Unmet Need, she transformed the support for brain cancers, increasing the research spend two to three-fold in three years.

Karen joined Brain Tumour Research in February 2022 as Director of Research, Policy and Innovation, and oversees the development and implementation of our research and policy strategies.

Karen lost her sister-in-law to glioblastoma (GBM) in 2011. 

Russell Marriott

Russell Marriott

Director of Income Generation and Development

With extensive experience in fundraising, Russell has worked in the charity sector for more than 30 years. He has raised more than £750m to date for organisations including The Royal Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Old Vic Theatre and BEN, the automotive industry charity.

Russell joined Brain Tumour Research in June 2022 and will oversee the charity’s development and income generation as it works to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million a year.

Russell has a very personal reason to join the fight to find a cure for brain tumours having lost a relative to the disease.

Sue Castle-Smith

Sue Castle-Smith

Director of Marketing and Communications

Sue has experience in national and regional PR, social media, communications, journalism and marketing. With more than two decades’ experience as a newspaper journalist, she has held senior roles including assistant editor and news editor on regional daily newspapers.

Since joining the charity in 2014, Sue has overseen the growth of our PR and Communications Department and helped ensure we are the leading voice of the brain tumour community in the media. She took over the role of Director of Marketing and Communications in February 2024 overseeing our Marketing, Digital Marketing, and PR and Communications teams, working to increase the profile and reach of the charity, increase awareness, maximise engagement and inspire supporters.

Francis Lei FCA MBA

Francis Lei FCA MBA

Interim Director of Finance and Operations

Having gained a BSc at London School of Economics, Francis spent nine years at one of the big four accountancy firms, before moving into the charity sector.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants with a Master of Business Administration, Francis joined Brain Tumour Research in 2022 after a decade in the international development sector, working for one of the world’s largest children’s charities in a variety of senior finance roles.

Francis heads up our finance team which is responsible for ensuring that funds entrusted to the charity are reported and applied as optimally as possible in line with donors’ wishes and will further the charity’s mission. Francis oversees financial planning and analysis with the objective of effectively informing the charity’s decision-making.

Hugh Adams

Hugh Adams

Head of Stakeholder Relations

With a strong background in national broadcast media, including 12 years at the BBC and freelancing for Channel 4 News amongst others, Hugh Adams has a well-established network of contacts. His communications degree and expertise in digital technology brings creativity and pace to the charity’s rapid development.

Hugh joined the charity in 2010 and is a key voice of the brain tumour community, regularly representing the charity in the media. He leads our campaigning and activist strategy and has been instrumental in growing the charity, bringing on board many of our celebrity supporters.