Interview - Anthony Herry

Between tradition, innovation and internationalization, this is how the building of Thuasne Pacific was envisaged. The acquisition of the firm Medical Rehab represents a strategic investment to strengthen our international presence and consolidate our relationships with healthcare professionals and patients in this very dynamic Asia-Pacific region. This is in line with our ambition to become one of the world's top five players in the medical devices sector. To learn more about how was this project built, we interviewed Anthony Herry, General Manager of Thuasne Pacific.

What were the main factors or motivations behind the decision to launch a subsidiary in Australia?
The main motivation was to generate strong growth and gain market share in the short, medium and long term. Thuasne is a recognised challenger in our two pillars of orthopaedics and compression, but we are facing very dynamic and highly structured international competition. Thuasne had to invest and will have to continue to invest to stay in the race.

What is Thuasne's strategy for setting up in Australia?
The Group's move into Australia is in line with our long-standing presence in this market and with the company's vision of investing and becoming involved in the regions in which it operates. Thanks to this subsidiary, we will be able to invest in quality local resources. It is a strength and a guarantee of our commitment to address part of the market directly and to be close to our local distributors, while at the same time covering all the strategic countries in the region - New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam. Thanks to this proximity and involvement, we're going to be more legitimate in the region.

How does the Australian market compare with the French market?
Because of its geographical location, the Australian market is at the heart of a multicultural area. A lot of things are different and need to be taken into account. To sum up, there are five things that stand out for me:

  1. It's an extremely sophisticated market, with a mix of multi-channel, prescribed and non-prescribed, reimbursed and non-reimbursed products. All organised around numerous reimbursement and insurance systems.
  2. It is characterised by growth of around 4.5%, with reimbursements on the rise for certain prescribed products, making it a high-potential market.
  3. Consumers have a specific profile, and are sensitive to brand image and product understanding. It is important to maintain a network of associative and academic healthcare professionals to embody our products and bring them to life.
  4. The region is highly digitalised. There is strong growth in e-commerce and e-pharmacy. The proximity I was talking about is reflected in the high rate of adoption of social networks, which means direct contact between the patient and the brand, and the appetite for innovative and technical products is high.
  5. The market is at the heart of a wider geographical area, and is therefore heavily dependent on international markets. All the international players in the sector are present, and Asian products also have a strong presence.

What are the challenges facing the subsidiary?
Setting up a subsidiary involves many challenges. The Group's strength is that it has been present and recognised in the market for some time now. To go further, we had to establish ourselves as close as possible to the local players to best meet their expectations and consumer habits.

Who will your competitors be in Australia? Local or foreign
All our international competitors have a subsidiary in Australia and are already very well structured.

How much of Thuasne's sales are currently international ?
Today, Thuasne has a commercial presence in a hundred countries, with 2,400 employees worldwide and fifteen industrial sites in Europe and North America. It's a truly international group, with 50% of its turnover generated outside France.

A few words about your career at Thuasne? What does it mean to be at the head of this subsidiary today?
I started at Thuasne in 2015 with responsibility for three countries. I now manage 10 countries, over twenty distributors and a subsidiary. Taking over the management of Thuasne Pacific is a new step in my career that allows me to leave my comfort zone, to progress professionally and, above all, to continue learning.

A new chapter to be followed...