Meet Our Board of Trustees

Dr. Peter Harf, founder of DKMS, Viktoria von Wulffen, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Klingebiel standing together at the DKMS Mechtild Harf Science Award 2025 in front of banners for the John Hansen Research Grant and the Mechtild Harf Science Award. They are dressed in formal dark attire and smiling for the camera.

Members of the Board of Trustees

Dr. Peter Harf, Founder of DKMS

DKMS's story begins with a family tragedy and the fight for the life of a loved one in 1990. For Mechtild Harf, a bone marrow transplant was the only chance of beating her leukemia. In the face of this challenge of finding a genetic twin for his wife, her husband Peter Harf took the initiative himself: he decided to dedicate his entrepreneurial spirit to the great goal of improving the chances of survival for his wife and others affected. On May 28, 1991, Peter Harf founded the DKMS, but despite all the efforts of the family and their numerous helpers, Mechtild unfortunately did not survive her illness. But she made her husband promise to keep fighting – until every patient received a suitable donor. Peter Harf has remained true to this promise together with his daughter Katharina.

Viktoria von Wulffen, Member of the Founding Family

Viktoria von Wulffen lives in Vienna and is a mother of six children. Family is especially important to her. She herself lost her mother, Mechtild Harf, to leukemia in 1991. This tragic fate prompted Viktoria's father, Peter Harf, to establish the DKMS as a legacy to his beloved wife. Viktoria von Wulffen is also involved in other projects for cancer patients and in child and youth welfare.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Klingebiel, Long-standing Consultant to the DKMS

Prof. Dr. Thomas Klingebiel was Director of the Clinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University Hospital Frankfurt of the Goethe University from 2000 to 2021. The Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine also includes the divisions of pediatric oncology, hematology and hemostaseology and the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Center Frankfurt; it is considered one of the best in Germany. Since July 1, 2021, he has been managing director of the Frankfurt association "Hilfe für krebskranke Kinder Frankfurt e.V.".

Discover DKMS
Learn more about DKMS - who we are and what we do
Katharina Harf and Elke Neujahr standing side by side on a modern staircase in a bright interior. The steps are made of wood and the banister is made of glass. Katharina Harf wears a dark red and navy dress, and Elke Neujahr a light green blouse with white trousers. They are smiling confidently at the camera.
Foundation Board
Four members of the DKMS Medical Council stand together in front of a decorative mirror background at the Mechtild Harf Science Award 2025. From the left you can see Prof. Dr. Marcel van den Brink, Dr. Marcelo Fernández-Viña, Prof. Dr. Katharina Fleischhauer, and Prof. Dr. Emma Morris. They are dressed in business attire and smiling at the camera, with DKMS signage partially visible on the left side.
Medical Council
Portrait of Dr. Elke Neujahr, Global CEO of DKMS Group, standing in a bright office space. She is wearing a white blazer, a light sage satin blouse, a golden necklace and is smiling confidently at the camera. In the background is a bouquet of flowers on a office table, blue office chairs, and windows.
Global Executive Team
A group of thirteen enthusiastic DKMS volunteers pose together at the Poland Rock Festival 2023. They are standing and kneeling around a chalkboard that announces the number of new potential donors registered. The atmosphere is joyful and happy, with cloudy skies in the background.
Our Structure