The Cure Leukaemia team

James McLaughlin

Chief Executive

Having held senior commercial roles within sport for 15 years including 2 Premier League football clubs, Nike and Edgbaston Cricket Ground, James became CEO of Cure Leukaemia in 2012, having previously been a Trustee since 2010.

Jennie Hill

Event Manager

Jennie joined Cure Leukaemia in 2012 having previously worked with James at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. Jen oversees all of Cure Leukaemia’s events throughout the year. Jen’s husband Dave Hill, who is Executive Chef at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, regularly helps at Cure Leukaemia events as do their daughters Phoebe and Isabella.

Gemma Hathaway

EA to the Chief Executive / Clinical Relationships Manager

Gemma joined Cure Leukaemia in 2020 having previously held PA and management roles in the executive search and hospitality industry.  

Her eclectic experience at a C-suite level, in demanding and fast-paced environments, allowed for a seamless transition to Cure Leukaemia and her role has since expanded to include a direct relationship with the charity’s clinical connections.

Gemma has embarked on a number of fundraising activities for the charity including the New York marathon and enjoys spending time with her dog Lola in her down time, who frequently keeps us company in the office.

Alex Smith

Head of Sponsorship

Alex joined us in December following a successful 15 years working in the sports industry, most recently following a spell as Head of Commercial and Retail at Walsall Football Club, guiding both departments through the Covid-19 pandemic ensuring the club continued to generate income and engaged with sponsors effectively despite a full season being played behind closed doors.

Prior to that, he spent seven years at the League Managers’ Association (LMA), the representative association for football managers in the professional game, the last five years of which, was as Commercial Director. The role involved working closely with the game’s stakeholders like the FA and Premier League, alongside many leading brands within the sport such as Barclays, Cadbury and Budweiser and not to mention getting to know the odd football manager too!

Bhupinder Dhillon

Business Development Manager

Bhupinder joined Cure Leukaemia in January 2025, bringing over 20 years of experience in sales and business development.

Having most recently spent over 6 years at Sodexo in a new business acquisition role, Bhupinder has experience working in a variety of sectors including employee benefits, digital marketing, healthcare and information technology.

In his role as Business Development Manager, Bhupinder is responsible for developing relationships with local and national businesses to help raise funding for the ATICUS clinical trials network.

Ivan Merrell

Community Co-Ordinator

Ivan joined the team early in 2023, following a career as a fashion photographer with major UK retailers. After losing his cousin to Leukaemia in 1987 he has always had a passion for fundraising to support others and has truly found his purpose at Cure Leukaemia.

Ivan oversees all Cure Leukaemia’s community fundraisers for the charity and is the first point of contact for all fundraising enquiries.

Vicky Coyle

Head of Finance and Operations

Vicky joined the charity in November 2023 having held a similar role with Mensa and prior to that held the same position at Sport Birmingham for over eight years.

Vicky oversees all Finance and Operations including Health and Safety, Insurances, Governance and IT.

Joe Hagen

Head of Marketing

Joe leads the marketing strategy at Cure Leukaemia, driving campaigns that raise awareness of the charity’s mission and maximise engagement with supporters. He is responsible for shaping the charity’s messaging and ensuring that fundraising initiatives reach and inspire as many people as possible. Joe is passionate about using creative storytelling to highlight the impact of Cure Leukaemia’s work and to grow the community of people dedicated to beating blood cancer.

Ciara Houlihan

Social Media Manager

Ciara manages Cure Leukaemia’s social media activity, overseeing the promotion of events and campaigns across all channels. She works closely with patients, families, and event participants to share their experiences, raising awareness of blood cancer and the vital need for continued research and clinical trials.

Abbie Madahar

Graphic Designer

Working closely with the marketing team and the wider Cure Leukaemia family, Abbie ensures all creative output is engaging, consistent, and true to the charity’s brand and values. Abbie also develops templates and reusable assets, helping the charity share its stories in a clear, creative, and inspiring way.

Lynn Richards-Cole

Trusts & Foundations Executive

Lynn Richards-Cole started at Cure Leukaemia in early 2020 having spent many years as Client Development Director at AON. Lynn was brought into the team to focus on applications to Trusts and Foundations.