Our Team

MCLA is guided by a dedicated team of patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and advocates committed to advancing care for the MCL community.

Board of Directors

Sebastien de Bandt

Co-founder and Board Chair

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Sebastien de Bandt is co-founder and Chair of the MCLA. In 2022, at the age of 37, he was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma and underwent treatment following the Nordic protocol. He has been in remission ever since. A self-described “techno optimist,” Sebastien believes that as scientific research accelerates, a future where all diseases are manageable is within reach. Through MCLA, he is committed to helping patients and families today—while supporting the momentum to speed up progress in research and access to better care. Sebastien has spent most of his career in the tech industry, both as a startup founder and in senior leadership roles within established digital businesses, bringing a mix of entrepreneurial energy and operational experience to the MCLA’s mission.

Karen Holden

Co-founder and Board Secretary

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Karen Holden is co-founder and Secretary of the MCLA. Her connection to the mission is deeply personal: when her sister was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in 2022, Karen saw firsthand how difficult it can be for patients and families to find clear, current, and trustworthy information at the very moment critical treatment decisions must be made. That experience underscored the need for clearer information, stronger support for patients and families navigating this rare disease, and greater investment in research to improve outcomes. Karen spent more than 30 years as an international tax attorney in government and as partner with Ernst & Young in the US and Europe. She also serves as President of the board of the arts-education nonprofit Take It From The Top, bringing nonprofit governance and leadership experience to MCLA.

Carol Kelly

Co-founder and Board Treasurer

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Carol serves as the MCLA Treasurer, bringing 34 years of corporate finance, accounting and auditing experience. Her career spans Honeywell, Cisco Systems, and Oracle, where she concluded her career as Senior Vice President of Global Finance Operations. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and an inactive CPA license. Diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in 2024, Carol is currently in remission. Her experience navigating diagnosis and treatment firsthand deepened her appreciation for organizations like MCLA that provide patients with access to resources and informed care – and fuels her commitment to helping scale the organization’s reach and impact.

Linda Trummer

Co-founder and Board Member

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Linda Trummer is a survivor, advocate, and longtime community leader. After being diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, blastoid variant, and spending several months in hospice, she founded Mantle Cell Lymphoma: The Journey, now a global community of 2,700 patients and caregivers. Her 25 years leading a successful nonprofit serving at-risk families and her national recognitions reflect a career devoted to service. She carries the belief that the hardest things we learn can become comfort for someone else.

Olivier de Bandt

Co-founder and Board Member

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Olivier de Bandt is co-founder of the MCLA. He holds a PhD in Economics and has worked in international research organisations and central banks for over 30 years. With several cancer cases in his family, he is convinced that more investment in medical research is crucial to eventually eradicate MCL.

Kristine Tuchek

Co-founder and Board Member

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Kristine Tuchek, PA-C, is co-founder of the MCLA. A physician assistant for more than 25 years, Kris spent her career in emergency medicine caring for patients during some of the most critical moments of their lives. In 2022, at age 59, she was diagnosed with an aggressive, advanced form of mantle cell lymphoma, forcing her into early retirement from the profession she loved. After multiple treatments, she achieved remission in June 2024 following CAR-T therapy. Experiencing mantle cell lymphoma as both a clinician and a patient drives her commitment to ensuring patients have access to clear information, expert guidance, and research that will lead to better treatments and ultimately a cure.

Larry Fagan

Co-founder and Board Member

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Lawrence Fagan, MD, PhD was diagnosed with MCL in 2012. He is the moderator of the ACOR MCL support group and participates in six additional online MCL communities. Larry helped create a list of key MCL websites and coordinates zoom presentations by MCL experts for the online patient community. He represents patient interests in projects at Sutter Health (Northern California), University of Colorado, and City of Hope. Prior to diagnosis, Larry was a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University focused at the intersection of computers and medicine on research projects in oncology, HIV/AIDS, and critical care medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics and a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Join Our Team

We're growing and always looking for passionate individuals who want to make a difference in the MCL community. Whether as a volunteer, advisor, or partner — we'd love to hear from you.

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