Board
Spina Bifida Foundation Board
Johannes Stenberg
Chairman
Johannes Stenberg career spans over three decades at IKEA and Tetra Pak, most recently as an advisor to Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s founder. Prior to taking on that role, he worked to establish IKEA in Russia. Earlier in his career, Johannes Stenberg spent almost 20 years at Tetra Pak developing new markets and restructuring subsidiaries of the company in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Pierre Mertens
Vice Chairman
Pierre Mertens was the President of the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus from 1995 till 2013. He is the founder of the Belgian branch of the International Foundation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and the Belgian section of Platform Handicap and Development Cooperation (PHOS). Pierre is director of Child-Help International and also works as a visual artist and psychotherapist.
Andrew J. Copp
Professor of Developmental Neurobiology and Head of the Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre at the Institute of Child Health, University College London
Andrew Copp, MBBS, DPhil, FRCPath, FMedSci, is Professor of Developmental Neurobiology and Head of the Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre at the Institute of Child Health, University College London. He is Honorary Consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. He trained at Oxford University, Guy’s Hospital London and the Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, USA. He researches the genetics, development and prevention of neural tube defects including spina bifida.
Bo Hjelt
Honorary Chairman and Founder of The Bo Hjelt Foundation for Spina Bifida in memory of Madeleine Hjelt
Bo Hjelt is the Founder and Honorary Chairman of CDI Global, an industrial search company with offices in 37 countries. Prior to launching CDI Global, he was the Director of European Operations at Svenska Metallverken, a Swedish metals multinational. Bo sits on a number of private and not-for-profit boards. He holds a BA from l’Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, and an MBA from Centre d’Etudes Industrielles in Geneva.
Paola Hjelt
Paola Hjelt was until recently the Director of Global Changemakers, a network of young social entrepreneurs and activists supported by the British Council. Prior to that, she was a Fellow at the World Economic Forum, and a reporter at Fortune Magazine in New York. Paola holds an MsSc from the Stockholm School of Economics and an MA and MSc in International Affairs and Journalism, both from Columbia University in New York.
Bart van Leemput
Partner – Banque Lombard Odier
Bart van Leemput is a Lombard Odier Capital Partner and a Group Managing Director at Lombard Odier & Cie SA, a Swiss private bank. He is currently Region Head on Africa and Israel. Moreover, he manages a team dedicated to international clients. Prior to his current position, He was a Supervisory Board Member of Lombard Odier Netherlands and Lombard Odier Asia. Bart holds an MA in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva
Damman Nordbeck
Partner at Vondel Finance/Clairfield International
Damman Nordbeck is a partner at Vondel Finance/ Clairfield International, a corporate finance and private equity firm in The Netherlands. Previously, Damman worked as M&A advisor with CDI Global. He holds an MSc in Business Administration from the universities of Groningen, Netherlands and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Rima Obeid
Professor, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
Rima Obeid, Prof (apl.), MPH, PhD, is a professor at the Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany. Her research focus is on nutritional biochemistry, pathobiochemistry, and population health. She is trained in bioanalytical methods and methods of evidence-based medicine and is currently researching the impact of nutrients such as folate and choline on maternal and child health. Rima is a pharmacist and holds an MA in Public Health and a PhD in Clinical Chemistry.