Harpal Kumar

Early life and education

Kumar's parents were both refugees. As Sikhs, they had to leave what was to become Pakistan and move to India, where they ended up in refugee camps. Later they moved to England, where his father was employed sweeping factory floors, before eventually starting his own grocery store.

Kumar attended St. John's College, Cambridge, where he gained a Master of Engineering degree and an Master of Arts degree and won the Mobil Prize, Metal Box Prize, and Hughes Prize. He subsequently gained an Master of Business Administration degree with High Distinction as a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School where he won the Ford Prize and the Wolfe Prize.

Career

After graduation, Kumar was employed by McKinsey and Co. as a healthcare consultant. In 1992 he was appointed chief executive of the disability charity the Papworth Trust. In 1997 he founded Nexan Group, a venture capital-backed medical devices company. He joined Cancer Research Technology Limited as chief executive in 2002 and became chief operating officer of Cancer Research UK in 2004. He became chief executive officer in April 2007.

Among his other roles, Kumar is a trustee of the Francis Crick Institute and the Institute for Cancer Research, and chairman of the Board of the National Cancer Research Institute. He is also chairman of the Cancer Outcomes Strategy Advisory Group in England and co-chair of the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative.

Awards and honours

Kumar was knighted in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to cancer research.

Personal life

Kumar lists his recreations as theatre, opera and football.