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Conquer Cancer announces appointment of Deanna B. van Gestel to Board of Directors 

Deanna B. van Gestel wearing a black dress, with shoulder-length dark brown hair, smiling gently and facing forward.

Alexandria, Va. - Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation, welcomes Deanna B. van Gestel to its Board of Directors.

Ms. van Gestel’s appointment began on March 27, 2021. Her term will last through December 31, 2023. Ms. van Gestel is the founder and CEO of Vaniam Group and the founder of Women Leaders in Oncology (WLO). 

Ms. van Gestel founded Vaniam Group, a distinguished network of independent healthcare and scientific communication agencies focused on oncology and hematology, in 2007. Vaniam Group is 100-percent virtual-by-design since inception, which was considered bold and disruptive at the time. The agencies partner with biotech and pharmaceutical clients’ commercial, medical, and clinical teams to create and communicate a differentiated value proposition at the brand, franchise, and corporate levels. WLO, which Ms. van Gestel founded in 2014, recognizes and empowers women who have dedicated their careers to advancing oncology research.

The last 23 of Ms. van Gestel’s 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry have been in oncology. Prior to founding Vaniam Group, her career was within commercial and medical affairs for biopharmaceutical companies. She is a member of the Conquer Cancer Women Who Conquer Cancer Committee and the Tugboat Institute. Ms. van Gestel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism.