Board of Directors

Simmie Smith – Board President

Simmie Smith, B.A., M.B.A. is the president of the Canadian Psoriasis Network, a national not-for-profit organization whose focus is on research, education and support for Canadians living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.  

Simmie was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of 9 and psoriatic arthritis at the age of 20. She is keen to pursue new strategies aimed at eliminating the devastating effects of the disease through research, advocacy and education. Her own journey living with the condition and always seeking the latest treatment plans motivates her to find ways to support and educate others.

Simmie has over 25 years of experience working within the public safety realm in all levels of government within Canada.  As a result of her experience she a proven track record of working successfully with various stakeholders. She is currently employed with the Canadian Federal Government as the Director of Strategic Services.  She was the receipt of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Simmie enjoys golfing and riding her Harley in her spare time.

David McMahon – Board Vice-President

David is the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Skin Foundation, a dermatology-focused patient organisation and charity.

David is a public affairs and communications professional with a proven track record in NGO management, leadership, government relations, lobbying and stakeholder engagement. He has multi-sector experience gained in central government, the patient organisation sector and in pharmaceutical marketing.

He plans to provide a dermatology-wide patient viewpoint to the board and to offer practical guidance in working with sponsors and funders, particularly those in the pharma industry.

Marc Yale – Board Treasurer

Marc Yale was diagnosed in 2007 with Cicatricial Pemphigoid, a rare autoimmune blistering skin disease. Like others with a rare disease, he experienced delays in diagnosis and difficulty finding a knowledgeable physician. Eventually, Marc lost the vision in his left eye from the disease. This inspired him to help others with the disease. In 2008, he joined the International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation (IPPF) as a Peer Health Coach. He works with people to improve their quality of life, and encouraged them to become self-advocates. In 2009, he helped develop the Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Comprehensive Disease Profile giving experts insight into the patient perspective. In 2016, he was asked by the IPPF leadership to become the Executive Director of the foundation.

Marc currently resides in Ventura, California with his wife Beth and daughter Hannah.

Cheryl Talent – Board Secretary

As President of the Eczema Association of Australasia Inc (EAA) www.eczema.org.au, Cheryl is passionate about helping eczema sufferers and their carers towards a better quality of life and encouraging them to self-advocate for their skin disease.

Having herself been an eczema sufferer since she was just a few days old, she became involved with the EAA in 1997 as a volunteer when she was in her mid-30s after having the worst eczema flare-up she had experienced in over 15 years.

Cheryl has a background in office administration and she has studied Business Development.

The EAA’s education and support helped her to keep take charge and keep her eczema mostly under control and she believes this is the key for most eczema sufferers.

Eczema can be a very debilitating skin condition that can be extremely difficult to live with. Although there is no cure, we know that good management is attainable for most sufferers.

As EAA President, Cheryl’s role is to educate people about eczema and how to manage it, to work with companies who have products that can help, and liaise with health professionals and researchers to ensure the EAA is providing the most up to date advice and support. 

Jean-Marie Meurant – Board Director

Jean-Marie has served as the President of L’Association Française du Vitiligo (AFV) since 2013 and has grown the organization into a vibrant association well known in France. AFV produces bulletins, and hosts sessions for patients, provides telephone counseling and an annual conference.

His organization organizes support groups, provides advocacy and liaises with other patient groups in France and internationally. Jean-Marie is involved with patient advocacy both in France and internationally and his organization supports research into vitiligo. He is leading the French Skin Federation (18 skin patient organizations) and is founder of a new global coalition: Vitiligo International Patient Organizations Committee.

Jean-Marie has been part of the GlobalSkin board as its president (2015 - 2019) since the organization was created in Vancouver in 2015.

Jean-Marie is currently an HR and Change Management Consultant with over thirty years business experience as an HR Director, specializing in large change situations like major mergers and acquisitions and adapting to multi-cultural environments for large European and International Companies.

He is adept at working with businesses to ensure that structures and practices are in place to allow them to achieve their objectives. He brings this excellent business acumen to his volunteer work in the skin patient sector.

Jean–Marie holds a Master’s in Human Resources Management from the Sorbonne and is an alumnus of ISCG. He is the proud father of three children and an avid sailor.

Julius Muungano – Board Director

Julius Muungano is a visionary social activist recognized for making significant contributions to the coordination and organization of program implementation in the civil society sector for more than ten years, with established record in effective organization and coordination of projects, events and meetings.

Julius is co-founder and Executive Director of Promotion of Education Link Organization (PELO), a child-centered organization advocating for children's rights, including albinism, skin cancer and HIV-AIDS. PELO implements a program known as Child Care and Protection (CCP) whereby we are establishing Child Protection Ambassadors' Network which is an advocacy arm of PELO. The program components of CCP program are SSDP (Survival, Safety, Development, Participation).

A highly motivated resourceful person with a potential of joint activism on issues affecting the survival of people who belong to special groups, Julius is a self- starter with administrative, organizational, and listening skills, with proven competence in driving programs to desired outcomes. Because of his efforts, PELO is one of the key active civil actors on policy issues in Tanzania.

Julius Muungano is pleased to become an IADPO board member because:

“The position will strengthen my effort of increasing the IADPO visibility in Africa through inviting more dermatology actors to join with IADPO and also IADPO board will be a ground for availing my experience on social accountability monitoring to advance IADPO advocacy work.”

Vlasta Zmazek – Board Director

Vlasta has been president of DEBRA Croatia since 1996 and provides support for DEBRA Slovenia, Bosnia and Serbia. She is also a member of the Executive Committee of DEBRA International.

In 2010, she was a founding member and was elected President of the Croatian Alliance for Rare Diseases. Since then Vlasta has been involved in the organisation of Rare Disease Day in Croatia, of National Conferences and the preparation of the Croatian National Plan for Rare Diseases in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. Vlasta has also provided support in the creation of the National Alliances in Slovenia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Vlasta is a EURORDIS EUROPLAN advisor and was a member of the Programme Committee for the EURORDIS Membership Meeting 2013 in Dubrovnik. Vlasta represents Ille Croatian Society for Rare Diseases in Ille EURORDIS Council of National Alliances.

Vlasta was elected to the EURORDIS Board of Directors in 2012 and again in 2016.

She is the mother of two sons, Ille youngest of whom has Epidermolysis bullosa.

Michelle Capon – Board Director

Michelle has over 15 years of healthcare experience both here in Canada and overseas in the UK. She currently runs the Patient Support programs in Canada for GlaxoSmithKline but prior to joining GSK she worked for Bayshore Healthcare for nine years in multiple roles but most recently as Director of Operations, Patient Support Services.

Michelle brings extensive experience in successfully managing major projects for government, hospitals, and healthcare professionals and has extensive knowledge with IT systems. Michelle currently resides in Georgetown Ontario with her two sons who are 11 and 6. Michelle is also a board member for the Canadian Association for Porphyria for the past three years and also is aErythropoietic protoporphyria patient diagnosed at age 10.

Ito Daisuke – Board Director

Mr. Ito is a Project Officer at JICA (International Cooperation Agency) Financial Cooperation Implementation Department, Grant Aid Project Management Division, Electric POwer and Port Unit.

He was born in Mie Prefecture in 1992. He earned a Master’s degree in Science from Tokyo Metropolitan University. During his Master’s program in 2015, he studied at Umea University in Sweden. After completing his Master’s, he worked for the Albino Peacemaker, an NGO in Tanzania as an intern. Mr. Ito joined JICA in 2017, and was assigned to JICA’s Jordan Office until recently.