About Us
EXPERIENCE. KNOWLEDGE. STRATEGY.
Our Expertise
At Confluence, we work with health innovators to overcome barriers to innovation and allow them to bring new solutions to market.
When you partner with us, you benefit from our technical expertise, specialised knowledge of key markets and our strategic but pragmatic approach.
Our Principal
Dr Franz Pichler – Founder and Principal
Franz specialises in helping healthcare clients across the globe to navigate barriers to innovation caused by current, emerging or proposed policy and access environments.
He works with commercial health innovators, trade associations, governments, and not-for-profits to create effective health systems and outcomes, bringing a wealth of experience, technical expertise and connections.
Franz has a PhD in Genetics and worked for over 10 years as a researcher in biotech-related functional genomics, including establishing a commercial gene expression facility.
Following his departure from academia, he has worked for more than 15 years in pharmaceutical regulation and Health Technology Assessment (HTA), including the Centre of Innovation in Regulatory Science, a UK-based think tank, and nine years at Eli Lilly and Company. His work covered Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Europe, the UK, and the USA and focused on identification, assessment, and resolving current and future policy-related access barriers to innovation.
In 2021, he left his role as Senior Director of Global Public Policy to found Confluence Health Consulting.
Franz also has extensive experience serving and leading trade association committees including EFPIA, PhRMA, RDPAC and PhRMA Japan, where he completed a 6-month secondment.
He is a member of the Biointelect Executive Strategy Panel and is a member Advisory Panellist on Genomics for Pathology Technology Australia. He previously served on the Executive Committee and Board of Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) and the Scientific and Medical Panel for the biotech startup 23 Strands.
Franz is based in Sydney and consults to Japan, Europe, UK and Australia.
Our Partners and Consultants
We have strategic partnerships with consulting firms and subject matter experts, allowing you to draw on diverse specialist expertise.
Partners
Strategic planning and commercialisation
Japan-based think-tank and consultancy
Japan-based government affairs consulting
Subject Matter Experts
NICHOLETTE CONWAY
Precision Medicine and Education
Nicholette is passionate about delivering timely and equitable access to new and innovative treatments for all Australians by putting patients first, embracing new technologies and innovations, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Central to delivering better patient outcomes is demonstrating the clinical and economic value delivered by Precision Medicine to all stakeholders.
Nicholette Conway (BPharm), EMBA (UNSW) has been working in healthcare for over 25 years. She has worked in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic industries, and has significant experience in multiple disciplines from clinical research, market access to commercialization. Nicholette is on the board of Genetic Alliance Australia, works across the medical technology and pharmaceutical industry.
EVAN LEE
Public Health and Clinical Medicine
Based in Geneva, Evan consults on projects that focus on access to quality healthcare and medical technologies in middle and lower-income countries.
He has a BA from Harvard, an MD from New York University, and an MBA from MIT.
Evan has worked across global health, with organisations including Médecins Sans Frontières, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and Management Sciences for Health, as well as Eli Lilly where he led Global Health Programs.
VANESSA MEIKLE
Executive Leader and Search Expert, Talent Advisor, Organisational Coach
Vanessa has dedicated her career to attracting, recruiting, and retaining talent for the healthcare and life science industries. For over 20 years she has partnered with employers and professionals from organisations of all sizes within healthcare, health technology, medical devices, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.
With qualifications in psychology, organisational and career coaching, Vanessa identifies and connects executive talent to global opportunities, accelerating individual and business performance.
Vanessa draws on her extensive network to help clients of Confluence identify and engage talent to support market strategies.
Why Us?
Global Expertise
Networks & Influence
Technical Knowledge
Solution Focus