About the foundation
Antoine van Oijen, PhD
Board Chair, Research Committee Chair, Non-Executive Director
Antoine is a leading researcher working at the intersection of medicine, physics, and chemistry, developing tools that reveal what goes wrong at the molecular level when cancer strikes. He has led major research programs at Harvard Medical School, the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and the University of Wollongong, and is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Enterprise) at the University of Sydney.
Beyond academia, Antoine has a strong track record in biotech commercialisation and strategic leadership, including advisory roles with world-leading genomics and proteomics companies. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
As a board member of CanToo, Antoine brings deep experience in translating scientific discovery into real-world health impact, together with a longstanding passion for supporting early and emerging researchers on that journey. He also enjoys running to stay fit and recently completed the CanToo Half Marathon program.
Ben Buckingham
Non-Executive Director
Ben has been doing CanToo programs for the last 15 years as a participant and CanToo Mentor, completing marathons, half marathons and swims. While Ben is a keen runner, taking part in a swim program was the first time that he really lived the CanToo ethos and pushed himself out of his (psychological!) comfort zone.
Ben is the founder of Primary, a software company focused on helping companies manage payments and treasury. Ben started his career as a banking and finance lawyer at Allens and worked at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant, before joining a start up - Identitii - as their Chief Product Officer to help reduce financial crime and promote inclusion in financial services.
Ben is passionate about supporting early-stage cancer research and the impact CanToo has on reducing the need for talented researchers to leave Australia to get funding. Ben is also passionate about bringing practical problem solving to help grow CanToo's impact on the community by driving positive health outcomes.
Dominic Del Giudice
Non-Executive Director
Dominic is a senior executive with a career spanning 25 years in the management consulting and technology services sector. Dominic brings a diverse range of skills and expertise to CanToo, drawing from senior management roles in a variety of multi-national companies, including Capgemini, Accenture, IBM and LTIMindtree.
Dominic has a wealth of expertise in structuring complex business transformation programs that harness technology, developing new business, managing client relationships, and leading large teams across Australia and Asia Pacific markets.
Dominic holds a Bachelor of Business Computing from Victoria University, a Master of Information Systems and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Swinburne University of Technology’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship.
Dominic has a love of fitness and sport including football (AFL) and basketball. He is also qualified as a fitness professional and junior sports coach, with a passion for coaching young athletes and sports performance development programs.
Dr Emmy Fleuren
Non-Executive Director
Dr Emmy Fleuren is a dedicated researcher and team leader at the Children’s Cancer Institute, specialsing in sarcoma biology and therapeutics. Her PhD focused on osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma, which are prevalent types of primary bone cancer affecting adolescents and young adults. Dr. Fleuren’s research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets in sarcoma, a group of cancers that affect connective tissues. She is currently working on pinpointing proteins that drove sarcoma disease progression and is translating her research into clinical practice. Dr Fleuren’s work is part of the Zero Childhood Cancer Program, which recommends treatments for children based on tumor analysis results.
Funded by CanToo in 2020 and 2021, Emmy has established the Sarcoma Biology and Therapeutics Group at Children’s Cancer Institute in Sydney. This is Australia’s first and only research group dedicated solely to sarcomas affecting young people.
Emmy is also a CanToo-er, having participated in the CanToo ocean swim program.
Tracey Fromow
Non-Executive Director
Tracey Fromow is a senior executive with more than 20 years'experience, predominantly in the pharmaceutical sector, across Australia and New Zealand. She has led strategy, transformation, marketing, commerical growth and performance improvement in complex organisations, with strong expertise in governance, financial oversight, audit and risk, stakeholder engagement and sustainable growth.
With extensive experience in oncology and women's health, Tracey is passionate about advancing better health outcomes through evidence-based decision making, rigorous research and investment in innovation. She brings a collaborative, values-driven leadership style focused on strong culture, clarity of purpose and delivering measurable impact.
Tracey is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours) in Accounting and Finance. An avid ocean swimmer, she swims most mornings at Balmoral Beach and regularly participates in events across Sydney. She has completed five marathons, represented New Zealand at the Triathlon World Championships and is a qualified triathlon coach, giving her first-hand experience of the powerful role that fitness and connection play in improving health outcomes. She is proud to join the Board of Can Too Foundation and support its mission to improve health and wellbeing while funding innovative early and emerging cancer research through community, fitness and philanthropy.
Caroline Purtell
Non-Executive Director
Caroline is a non-executive director with a comprehensive legal and governance background in the Financial Services and Not-for-Profit sector. She started her career in top tier law firms Mallesons (Sydney) and Clifford Chance (London), specialising in banking and finance. She was a Senior Company Secretary for the funds management arm of E&P Financial Group from 2018 - 2023 and is currently a Senior Company Secretary for fund managers, US Masters Residential Property Group and K2 Asset Management Limited. During her time at E&P, Caroline was a Director of New Energy Solar Limited, Australia's first ASX-lixed solar infrastructure business, as well as a Director on the boards of the investment managers for Claremont Global and Orca Funds Management.
Caroline has valuable philanthropy, fundraising and community event experience from her role on the Loreto Normanhurst Board and Philanthropy Committee.
CanToo's mission strongly aligns with Caroline's values of combining physical fitness with impactful change. In April 2026, she finished the Boston Marathon and achieved her sixth Abbott World Major Marathon Star. Caroline has run over 28 City2Surf's, countless half marathons and 10km fun runs, completed the Noosa Tri 7 times and been involved in a number of other community fitness events such as the Bowral and Bobbin Head Classic bike rides, Coastrek, the Bloody Long Walk, 7 Bridges and she captains 2 netball teams. Like every Australian, Caroline has lost close family and friends to cancer and is committed to supporting innovative early and emerging cancer researchers.
Caroline holds a Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Master of Laws (Hons) from the University of Sydney. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors (GAICD) and the Women on Boards ASX Chair mentoring program and is a member of the Law Society of New South Wales.
Mel Ware
Non-Executive Director
Mel is an experienced senior executive with deep expertise in marketing, brand, customer experience and transformation across financial services and insurance. She brings commercial judgement, disciplined governance capability and extensive experience leading large-scale change in highly regulated environments.
A past CanToo participant, Mel has a strong personal connection to the Can Too Foundation and a deep understanding of its community-led fundraising model. She is passionate about purpose-driven organisations and supporting initiatives that promote wellbeing, prevention and long-term health outcomes.
Challenge yourself. Challenge cancer.
With CanToo.
Fundraise now and help power early and emerging career cancer research!
