LUGANO, Switzerland, 30 June 2022 – The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the leading professional organisation for medical oncology, has announced the results of its Executive Board elections following the closure of the voting system on Monday 27 June 2022. Prof. Fabrice André, MD, PhD, Head of the Research Division at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, France, will be the ESMO President 2025-2026. ESMO Directors of Education, Membership and Public Policy have also been appointed for the 2023-2024 term, together they are tasked with forging a path forward for the Society.
“ESMO should lead the way in driving the implementation of technological innovation in oncology, because it has the potential to address the major challenges of our field and improve both the lives of people with cancer and the working conditions of oncologists in the future,” André stated. His presidential vision is shaped by his dual professional identity as a medical oncologist specialised in breast cancer and as an academic with a focus on biotechnologies. “As ESMO President, I will seek to push digital technologies and biotechnologies further up on the scientific agenda in order to find solutions to reduce the complexity of treatment decisions that physicians face and to decrease the burden of treatment for patients thanks to precision medicine.”
A further facet of this vision is the technological transformation of the Society itself to reduce the environmental impact of its activities while continuing to facilitate the personal networking that remains integral to collaboration and innovation in cancer research and care.
André has been engaged in ESMO activities and leadership for many years, having authored a number of ESMO papers and ESMO Guidelines, serving as the first Chair of the ESMO Young Oncologists Committee and holding the position of Editor-in-Chief of ESMO’s flagship journal, Annals of Oncology, since 2017. He is also a member of the ESMO Breast Cancer Faculty, the ESMO Translational Research and Precision Medicine Working Group, as well as the Scientific Co-Chair of the ESMO Congress 2022.
Over the course of his career, André has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and won multiple national and international awards from ESMO and organisations such as the AACR and ASCO.
“ESMO is a decidedly global organisation, which puts it in an optimal position to disseminate oncology science and knowledge. The Board’s first task is therefore to consolidate and further develop the activities offered to ESMO members, ensuring the quality of ESMO journals, conferences and other educational resources, as well as their relevance for a global oncology audience,” André continued.
As ESMO President-Elect 2023-2024, André will take his seat on the ESMO Executive Board as of 1 January 2023 along with the three newly elected Directors.
Nadia Harbeck, Breast Centre, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany, has been elected as the next ESMO Director of Education: “My belief is that ESMO needs to continue to bring education to the community and not necessarily the community to an educational venue”. We need to address the heterogeneity of our colleagues’ educational needs as outlined in the ESMO’s #ONEoncology community by offering tailored educational formats and having our faculty represent the diversity that ESMO stands for, regarding balance of regions, gender, professional experience, and oncological disciplines,” she said.
Evandro de Azambuja, Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium, has been elected ESMO Director of Membership. He commented: “The focus of my mission is to further increase ESMO’s visibility in different countries by working closely with the Membership Committee, Young Oncologists Committee and the Women for Oncology Committee. During my mandate, I will promote ESMO while keeping in mind diversity and advocating that cancer care should be equally provided to all patients irrespective of their geographical area.”
The next ESMO Director of Public Policy will be Jean-Yves Blay, Centre Leon Berard, France: “Building on ESMO expertise, our policy will aim to reduce inequalities for routine care and research in EU countries by matching the pace of precision medicine, proposing organisational guidance, developing international continuous medical education, working with national and international cancer plans, increasing health care professional numbers, with high-quality continuous training,” he stated.
The future Executive Board will be able to rely on the support of ESMO officers and staff in carrying out their managerial and administrative duties towards the Society.
-END-
For further information
ESMO Press Office: press@esmo.org
About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With approximately 25,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 160 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. Driven by a shared determination to secure the best possible outcomes for patients, ESMO is committed to standing by those who care about cancer through addressing the diverse needs of #ONEoncologycommunity, offering #educationforLIFE, and advocating for #accessiblecancerCARE. www.esmo.org