The American Cancer Society is the leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. We are the only organization working to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
Since 2011, the San Francisco Discovery Gala has raised more than $16.2 million to fund the American Cancer Society’s mission and has become one of the premier fundraising events for cancer, both locally and across the nation. In 2023, the event won the American Cancer Society’s prestigious Event of The Year award. It garners the support of the business community and is led by an extraordinary volunteer Board of Ambassadors who champion the mission year-round.
On September 28th, we came together for a transformative evening at the 13th annual San Francisco Discovery Gala. Your presence contributed to bold strides and innovative breakthroughs in cancer research and care. Together, we took meaningful steps toward reshaping the future and ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.
With more than 25 years of experience in the technology, media, and telecom industries, Andrew has a proven track record in leading strategy, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and divestments and integrations. At Aruba, he is responsible for ensuring the organization is fiscally aligned to HPE’s strategy and well positioned to execute strategic initiatives in growth areas. His experience spans from large corporations to early-stage startups to venture capital investing. Having lived in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United States, Andrew has a profound appreciation for diversity and has developed critical skills to lead and motivate at all levels of the organization across multi-cultural teams and multi-functional divisions. He is a qualified SCUBA instructor and Divemaster, and enjoys extreme winter and summer sports and cheering alongside his wife while watching his two children play water polo and volleyball.
Carine Schultz is a dedicated professional with a rich background in the chocolate and confectionery industry. Currently, she is the Auction Lead for the San Francisco Discovery Gala, leveraging her extensive experience to create memorable and impactful fundraising events.
Carine has been self-employed as a Chocolatier in Palo Alto, California since 2017, hosting chocolate fundraising events for educational purposes. She also served as a Cake Decorator and has been involved in corporate chocolate team-building workshops in Hong Kong from 2013 to 2015. Her journey in the confectionery industry began in Melbourne, Australia, where she worked as a Cake Decorator from 2008 to 2012.
Earlier in her career, Carine was a Market Development Manager and Account Manager at Barry Callebaut in Banbury, England, from 2000 to 2006, where she successfully grew the customer base and increased sales volume. She also held the position of Development and Production Manager at Arriba Chocolates in Durban, South Africa, from 1995 to 2000, where she significantly increased sales and managed a large production team.
Carine has also been active in her local community, serving as a Fundraising Board Member of the local public middle school in 2019 and a Hospitality Board Member of the local public high school in 2020. Her passion for chocolate and commitment to community service make her a valuable asset to the Discovery Gala and its mission.
Audrey has a double MBA, one in Finance and one in International Business. In early 2017, after 20 years in the Financial services industry, she decided to create her own company specialised in business development and talent management.
She is also a start-up co-founder, Non-Executive board member, Trustee as well as Chair for a Multi- Awarded Fintech company where she shares her 20 years of successful corporate experience. Her areas of expertise include Strategy, Sales and Marketing, Product Management, Commercial and Vendor Management, Organisational Change and Talent Management.
Audrey is a driven, enthusiastic and an experienced individual with a proven track record. She is French and speaks fluently 4 languages (French, English, Italian & Spanish). She is ambitious, self-confident with high energy that she dedicates to development of people including a lot of junior mentoring.
She has lived and worked in many regions and countries around the world which plays into her passion for exploring new cultures and languages, and discovering new types of food and wines.
Jacqueline Guichelaar is the SVP & GM for Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China. In this role, Guichelaar brings her experience as COO, CTO, and CIO over the past 20 years to help customers transform their businesses through Cisco’s broad portfolio of hardware, software, and services. Her previous experience allows her to “walk in the shoes of our customers”, a fresh perspective in this role.
Guichelaar was previously Cisco’s Group Chief Information Officer, leading the multi-billion-dollar organization responsible for running and transforming the technology infrastructure, digital platforms, enterprise security, and business applications that enable Cisco’s global workforce to excel and be productive. She spearheaded creation of a digital architecture to accelerate Cisco’s digital enterprise transformation.
Guichelaar was named to the 100 Women in Tech Leaders to Watch 2023, Fast Company’s Queer 50 in 2020-2023, and HITEC 100 for 2022 and 2023. She was Co-Chair of the American Cancer Society San Francisco Discovery Gala in 2021 and 2022, is the Executive Sponsor of Cisco’s Pride Inclusive Community, and a Board Member of Covenant House California. A powerful speaker, Guichelaar has been on stage in multiple, global Cisco Live events, in addition to many internal and external appearances.
As the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, discovery, and patient support, the American Cancer Society has made significant contributions to the fight against cancer over the last 110 years. We advocate for lifesaving policy changes, promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent cancer, and provide information, answers, and support to people in every community who have been touched by cancer. We also research cancer and its causes to find more answers and better treatment.
Yet, there is still work to be done – which is why we are so glad you have joined us tonight! The American Cancer Society continues to work tirelessly to fund research and provide support for all types of cancer. And thanks to your generous support, we work to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
Every cancer. Every life.
Learn MoreFor more than 10 decades, the American Cancer Society has been dedicated to pursuing better outcomes for every cancer, every life. Today, more people are surviving cancer than ever before, but there is still work to be done. Join us, support us, and help us end cancer as we know it, for everyone.