Appointments Strengthen DKMS’s Global Strategy, Scientific Leadership, and International Impact
TÜBINGEN, Germany - August 31, 2026 - DKMS is expanding its global leadership structure to support the organization’s continued international growth and next phase of development. Effective September 1, 2026, Katharina Harf will assume the newly created role of Global Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), and Prof. Dr. Johannes Schetelig will serve as Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer (CSMO) of DKMS Group gGmbH.
The expansion of DKMS’s global executive management team reflects the organization’s evolution into an international organization working to improve outcomes for patients with blood cancer and blood disorders. DKMS’s global work extends beyond recruiting stem cell donors to include research, medical innovation, diagnostics, and efforts to improve access to stem cell transplantation worldwide.
Today, DKMS operates in seven countries, has more than 13.5 million registered donors, and has provided more than 135,000 blood cancer patients worldwide with a second chance at life.
Katharina Harf is the first representative of DKMS’s founding family to join its global executive management team. She has been committed to the organization for more than two decades and has been closely involved in major developments and forward-looking initiatives. Together with her father, DKMS founder Dr. Peter Harf, she helped lay the groundwork for DKMS’s international expansion with the launch of DKMS US in 2004.
Harf currently serves as Chair of DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden, the parent foundation of DKMS Group, and as Executive Chair of DKMS in the United States.
As Global Chief Strategy Officer, Harf will help shape DKMS’s long-term global strategy and direction. She will work to strengthen collaboration among DKMS entities and donor registries, advance new partnerships and strategic initiatives, and support the organization’s continued development in response to emerging needs and opportunities in international health care. Her work will focus on expanding DKMS’s sustainable global impact and helping more patients access potentially life-saving stem cell transplants.
“Since DKMS was founded in Germany 35 years ago, I have had the privilege of seeing a local initiative grow into a global movement,” said Katharina Harf, Global Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of the DKMS Group. “Our mission today is the same as it was then: to give as many people as possible a chance at a cure. As knowledge of stem cell donation grows, so do the demands on our work. It is more important than ever to strengthen international collaboration, accelerate the application of scientific innovation, and pursue new strategic opportunities and partnerships in support of our global mission. I look forward to working closely with our CEO, Elke Neujahr, and our global teams to advance this work.”
Prof. Dr. Johannes Schetelig will serve as Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, overseeing DKMS’s global scientific and medical direction. A hematologist, transplant physician, and professor of stem cell transplantation at TU Dresden, Schetelig was appointed as DKMS’s first Chief Scientific Officer effective July 1, 2026.
In addition to his executive responsibilities, Schetelig will continue to lead DKMS’s Clinical Trials Unit and Collaborative Biobank, advancing key research initiatives focused on improving patient outcomes.
“DKMS’s scientific and medical expertise is a critical foundation of our success,” said Prof. Dr. Johannes Schetelig, Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer (CSMO) of the DKMS Group. “I look forward to bringing this perspective to the strategic development of our international organization and helping ensure that even more patients have the opportunity for a second chance at life.”
The global executive team of the DKMS Group will consist of Dr. Elke Neujahr (CEO), Katharina Harf (CSO), Prof. Dr. Johannes Schetelig (CSMO), and Bernd Weinel (CFO).
About DKMS
DKMS is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of patients with blood cancer and blood disorders. It was founded in Germany in 1991 by Dr. Peter Harf and has since worked to ensure that more and more patients receive a lifesaving stem cell donation. More than 13.5 million potential donors are registered with DKMS, and to date, the organization has facilitated more than 135,000 blood stem cell donations. In addition to Germany, DKMS is active in the U.S., Poland, the U.K., Chile, India, and South Africa. Through international projects and support programs, DKMS provides even more people worldwide with access to lifesaving therapy. In addition, DKMS is committed to advancing medicine, science, and research to improve patients’ chances of recovery. In its state-of-the-art laboratory, the DKMS Life Science Lab, the organization sets global standards in the typing of potential stem cell donors to find the perfect match for a transplant.