About us

The global health and life-science landscape is evolving rapidly—and the ways ideas move from concept to impact must evolve with it. Breakthrough science, ambitious public goals, and new sources of capital are not enough on their own; progress depends on the ability to align incentives, navigate complexity, and make hard decisions well.

Avenir is a strategic advisory firm built to close this gap—helping leaders turn promising ideas and partnerships into outcomes that hold up in the real world.

Rooted in experience across biopharma, global health, finance, and public-sector delivery, Avenir works alongside senior teams at moments of inflection. We bring commercial, financial, and partnership disciplines into spaces where they are often fragmented.

As a trusted, behind-the-scenes partner, Avenir combines analytical rigor, practical judgment, and sector fluency to help organizations move forward with clarity. Our approach is designed to build durable partnerships, support sound decisions, and translate ambition into sustained, real-world impact.

How we show up

We work closely with a small number of CEOs and senior teams at a time, staying directly involved rather than handing work to outsourced teams. Our role is to be a trusted sounding board and an execution partner—helping leaders clarify what is at stake, build the fact base, and prepare for the rooms and negotiations that matter most.

Core team

Claire Wagner

Founder & CEO

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Michèle Palkovits

Director of Delivery

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Barbara Foot

Director of Operations

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Gabrielle Simmons

Global Health Strategy Fellow

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Our network

Avenir works with a global network of partners and experts. We bring the right people into the work at the right moments, extending our core advisory with specialized insight while maintaining a single, cohesive strategic thread.

Work with us

  • Please check back for future openings.

  • Avenir hosts current graduate students (or recently graduated alum) in the Boston area for a period of 4-6 months, providing part-time fellowship opportunities for client-facing work, professional development, and strategic initiatives.

    Visit our Fellowships page to learn more.

  • Sign up for our newsletter or drop us an email with your resume and if there’s a good fit for an upcoming role, we’ll reach out.