Executive Board

Chairwoman of the Directors Board

Silke Mader is co-founder of EFCNI and Chairwoman of the Executive Board. The Executive Board acts as external legal representative for the foundation (“vertretungsberechtiger Vorstand”).

Her professional background lies in elementary educational theory, mainly focusing on the linguistic support of migrant children and remedial educational theory.

In 1997, her twins were born in the 25th week of pregnancy, and were not given the appropriate care. Unfortunately, one of them died a few days after birth, leaving the parents and the sibling behind. During her time in hospital and afterwards, she was faced with the non-existence of support of any kind, the absence of public awareness and the lack of information and education for parents during pregnancy. She felt that no parents should ever undergo such an awful experience again. Therefore, in 1999, she decided to actively participate in the Munich-based local parent group, which she headed from 2001 on. Two years later, she became Chairwoman of the German umbrella organization “The preterm born child e. V.”. Together with experts, Silke developed declarations, guidelines and information material for parents with preterm children.

As the situation throughout Europe is distressingly similar and preterm children urgently need a voice not only within Europe but also worldwide, she decided to give up her job as a teacher and to take on the role of chair on the Executive Board of EFCNI.

In 2012 Silke Mader was awarded the “Prix Courage” by ZDF television programme “ML mona lisa” in cooperation with the cosmetics company Clarins. 2013 she received the Medal for Particular Services to Bavaria in a United Europe. Since 2014 she is Honorary Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland.

In 2015, Silke Mader has been awarded as social entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow. Since then, she has become a member of the organization’s global network.

At the ALL Ladies League (ALL) – Women Economic Forum 2016 in New Delhi, India, Silke Mader received the “Iconic Innovative Trailblazer of the Decade” award.

In October 2016, she was awarded with the Bavarian State Medal for Services concerning Health and Long-term Care by Melanie Huml, the Bavarian State Minister for Health and Long-term Care.

Nicole Thiele is Vice Chair of the Executive Board. The Executive Board acts as external legal representative for the foundation (“vertretungsberechtiger Vorstand”).

Nicole Thiele joined EFCNI in early 2010. She holds a diploma as European Secretary/ESA and speaks German, English, French and Spanish She holds a university degree in Economics, Management and Business Administration and graduated as a certified Specialist in Public Affairs (Quadriga University). Nicole completed the European Patient’s Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) Patient Traing Course on Medicines Research and Development and became EUPATI Fellow in 2018. She lived in Paris for several years and gained extensive experience in different positions within multi-national companies.

With her family experiencing the consequences of an extremely preterm birth more than 40 years ago, she is personally committed to drive forward the prevention of prematurity and especially the philosophy of individualized, developmentally supportive care and parental empowerment, crucial contributors to give a baby the best start in life.

Nicole is author, (co-)author and (co-)editor of different information material, brochures, factsheets, articles and reports on topics within maternal and newborn health.