Development Board 

Carl Cavers

Development Board Chair

Carl Cavers Carl joins the board of trustees following his original appointment as Patron in April 2022. He is Chief Executive Officer of Sumo Group, an international videogame business which has its headquarters in the UK. Carl has extensive corporate leadership experience and success and co-founded Sumo Digital in 2003 following a successful career with Gremlin Interactive and Infogrames. Sumo is now one of the worlds most successful videogames developers recognised globally by the awards and accolades it has accumulated, including several BAFTA’s. 

During the last 20+ years Carl has steered the group through multiple management buy-outs and ultimately floated Sumo Group Plc on the London Stock Exchange's AIM in December 2017, before the business was acquired off market in a trade sale. Carl’s achievements have been recognised by receiving TIGA's coveted Most Outstanding Individual Award in 2015 (TIGA is the trade association representing the video games industry) and being awarded an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University.

Outside of work Carl is a lifelong cyclist and also competes in motorsports where he uses the platform and TV coverage to help raise awareness for Solving Kids' Cancer UK. Carl is passionate and dedicated to helping the charity continue with the success it has built to date.

Abi Solieri

Abi first became involved with Solving Kids’ Cancer in November 2021, when her 5-year-old daughter, Arianna, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. After facing challenges with Ariannas’s treatment on the NHS pathway, Abi and her family found hope in a clinical trial called MiNiVan, funded by Solving Kids’ Cancer. This trial cleared Arianna’s stubborn, refractory disease so she could then continue on the NHS pathway.  

Arianna, who is now 8 years old completed her treatment in January 2024 and is now on the bivalent trial in New York City. Abi is married to Chris and together they have three more young daughters: Mya (5), Zara (4) and Raya (2).  

Abi has been an events director for over 13 years and is committed to leveraging her professional experience to support children battling neuroblastoma. She joined the Development Board with a passion for helping as many children as possible overcome this devastating cancer. Outside of her work with Solving Kids Cancer, Abi is dedicated to her family and the mission to improve the outlook for all children affected by neuroblastoma. 

“Solving Kids’ Cancer holds a special place in my heart. The charity has been amazing for our family and many others going through the unimaginable journey of childhood cancer. I have seen first-hand the impact they make—offering hope through innovative clinical trials and unwavering support during the most difficult times. Clinical trials, like the one that helped my daughter, are crucial in giving children the best chance of overcoming this disease. My mission is to help families, in any small way I can, as they navigate this challenging path. Together, we can ensure that every child battling neuroblastoma has access to life-saving treatments and the support they need to face tomorrow with hope.”  

Cassie Leaver

Cassie first became aware of Solving Kids’ Cancer when her daughter, Jocelyn, affectionately known as Jossie, was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma in 2017.  Jossie received frontline treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital and, following multiple relapses, travelled with her family to Spain and then Germany to access clinical trials.  However, devastatingly the disease had progressed and, in October 2019, Jossie died peacefully at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. 

Cassie lives in Hertfordshire with Jossie’s younger brother, Dougie, and her husband, Stewart, a Trustee of Solving Kids’ Cancer UK.  Following Jossie’s death, Cassie returned to work as a lawyer, but now manages the business development of a dispute resolution practice in London. This recent career change has helped facilitate the opportunity for her to support Solving Kids’ Cancer by becoming a founding member of its Development Board. 

“It’s been five years since Jossie died and, whilst I’ve continued to follow the charity and fundraise in Jossie’s memory, I’ve always wanted to do something more purposeful to support the work of this magnificent charity. As sadly so many of us are acutely aware, there is no guaranteed cure and particularly for those with high-risk for neuroblastoma, the chances of a cure are lower, the treatment more aggressive and the side effects long-term. The only way we can change these outcomes is through initiating and funding best-in-class clinical research into new, kinder therapies. So, what better motivation to help drive such change than joining the Development Board at Solving Kids’ Cancer UK.   

"While we can’t change what happened to Jossie, we can ensure her legacy lives on. So, we will forever be fuelled by her spirit, attitude, and determination to do what we can as a family to help make a difference.” 

Garrett Fitzgerald

Garrett's youngest child, Ren, was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma in July 2018. She had just celebrated her thirteenth birthday. Ren successfully completed frontline treatment in Belfast and then participated in the bivalent vaccine clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. Ren is now thriving and studying creative writing at JM University in Liverpool.

From first contact in 2018, SKC has provided invaluable support to the family, offering guidance from a parent's perspective, fundraising assistance, treatment options, and ongoing updates on trials and medical advancements.

Garrett has been an active member of the SKC Parent Forum since its inception in 2022, and he views this new role as another way to contribute to SKC's mission which includes supporting other families. He has witnessed SKC’s significant evolution since 2018 and is committed to supporting its important work.

Garrett and his wife, Mary Clare, reside in Northern Ireland. Since Ren's diagnosis, their three older children have completed their education and are now embarking on their own journeys. Garrett’s professional background spans almost forty years, primarily in senior management roles within the food industry, including positions from finance to Managing Director. Since 2022, Garrett has been working as a business advisor.

Marina Nikoloska

Marina has been a relationship manager at Julius Baer International in London since 2023. Prior to this she spent 12 years with UBS Wealth Management in London, having started her career at Coutts and Co.

Marina holds a BA (Hons) from UCL and an MSc from Imperial College London, and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments.

In her personal time, Marina also sits on the development board of One to One Children’s Fund, and is on the London Committee of Human Rights Watch.

Padmesh Thuraisingham

Padmesh first reached out to Solving Kids Cancer in 2019 when his daughter Odile was diagnosed with neuroblastoma shortly after birth. Despite some early setbacks, she made a full recovery and is now thriving, and Padmesh and his wife Iulia have been supporters of SKC ever since. 

Padmesh has a background in technology, data and analytics, and takes a particular interest in applying AI to achieve business outcomes. He started his career in energy trading, before moving into financial markets where he built a derivatives valuation platform and business for a major financial services provider. Padmesh currently heads technology for the Capital Markets division of JLL, one of the global leaders in commercial real estate. Padmesh lives with his family and two cats in north-west London, and enjoys playing and watching sports, visiting zoos and solving puzzles. 

“Our family received fantastic support, encouragement and guidance from SKC since we were first told our daughter Odi had neuroblastoma. We were incredibly worried and didn’t know anything about the disease or which medical advice to follow. So we are very grateful for everything SKC did for us and are proud to support the charity in its mission. We have seen the impact that this terrible disease and the effects of treatment can have on children and their families, but are encouraged by the tremendous work SKC is doing to combat neuroblastoma and the difference it is making.” 

Patrick Harney

Patrick first became involved with Solving Kids’ Cancer UK in December 2017 when his son Mikey was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma at just 20 months old.

Patrick is a Partner in Mishcon Private. A market leading international private client lawyer who has worked in Dublin, London and New York, Patrick specialises in cross border tax advice with a particular focus on US-UK and UK-Irish tax, trust and estate planning and UK resident non-domiciled tax planning. 

His wide range of clients include high profile individuals, family offices and hedge funds spanning the UK and Ireland, the US and Latin America. He has a particular expertise in the use of family partnerships and family investment companies as a tax efficient wealth holding vehicle. 

Patrick has been consistently ranked by the private wealth industry and professional directories as a leading expert in tax law. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser, an International Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”) and in November 2019 he was admitted as an Academician of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Lawyers.  

He is a STEP member and lectures on International Estate Planning at the STEP/Irish Law Society Diploma Course on Trust and Estate Planning.