CONCILIUS has a strong understanding of the mechanics of politics at all levels, far beyond what can be learned from the media. On the basis of our precise knowledge of political processes, down to the depth of decision-making in our federal system, we develop individual strategies in close coordination with our clients. We provide well-founded and goal-oriented advice. From political analysis to operational implementation, we give companies a comprehensive portfolio of contact management, information and communication tools.
CONCILIUS was founded in 2003 and has been owner-operated ever since. The focus of our work is on Germany and the institutions of the European Union. With offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, we meet the challenges of the federal political system wherever they occur. Our office in Brussels services clients on a European level.
Our approx. 30 consultants, analysts and policy strategists have many years of project experience. With comprehensive political, economic and scientific expertise, we work for clients from almost all industries.
Furthermore, we integrate our senior advisers into our political solution strategies, whenever necessary. A pool of around 50 former high-ranking decision-makers from the legislative, executive and diplomatic areas provides our clients with access to specialized expertise and premium networks.
Who is behind CONCILIUS?
Roberto Fleissner has more than twenty years of experience in political interest representation for industry. His areas of focus include supporting regulatory processes as well as advising in the field of business to public sector engagement. Before co-founding CONCILIUS in 2003, he worked from 1998 as a policy advisor at the CSU headquarters and spent several years at a medium-sized consulting firm. As a member of the CSU, he was actively involved for many years at both the municipal and state level. Roberto Fleissner studied political science in Munich and is a member of the advisory board of the German Association of Political Consulting, de'ge'pol.
Peter Bechstein has been working for CONCILIUS since 2006 and has been a Partner since 2011. He has extensive, long-standing expertise in regulatory matters, particularly in relation to manufacturing companies. In addition, he advises clients on developing their respective public affairs strategies as well as on crisis communication.
Previously, he spent several years working in industry as Head of Human Resources and as Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs. He is a member of the CDU Baden-Württemberg, where he has held various positions at district, regional, and state level.
Sara-Rose Röthel has been working for CONCILIUS since 2006 and has been a member of the Executive Board since 2017. As a Director, her main focus lies on addressing opportunities and risks in the field of legislation and regulation, as well as supporting (technology) companies that are either implementing an innovative business model or seeking to enter the German market for the first time. This includes, in particular, clients in the transport and mobility sector, including some of the best-known and most disruptive companies in the industry. In a voluntary capacity, she has served, among other roles, as a board member of the German Startups Association (Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e.V.). Sara-Rose Röthel studied political science at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Sabrina Beichter has been working for the company in various roles since 2008. In her current position as Director, she is responsible for strategic consulting and project management for clients across different policy areas, with a particular focus on digital and health policy. She advises companies on regulatory matters, market entry support, and the realization of real estate projects. Sabrina Beichter is a member of the CDU and, through her political engagement and involvement in numerous federal and municipal election campaigns, has built a broad network of decision-makers in the German Bundestag, in Baden-Württemberg, and at the municipal level.
Frederic Carpenter has been working at CONCILIUS as a Director and head of the Berlin office since 2026 and has extensive experience in political decision-making and administrative processes. As early as 2008, he worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, gaining practical experience in political communication, campaign work, and organizational structures. For around ten years, he has held leadership positions within BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN, including as Federal Executive Director for Organization, Federal Treasurer, and member of the Federal Executive Board. In these roles, he was largely responsible for governance, budgeting, and organizational matters. His main focus lies on analysing and supporting processes at the intersection of politics and public administration.
Guntram Dopfer joined CONCILIUS AG in 2005, initially as Coordinator for the Executive Board division, and has been a member of the Executive Board since 2009. In addition to his role as a Director advising clients, he is responsible within the Board for Finance, Human Resources, and Infrastructure. Before joining CONCILIUS, his most important professional positions included serving as State Managing Director of the Junge Union (JU) and Communications Officer at the CSU party headquarters. He later founded a consulting company through which, from 2001 to 2005, he was involved in numerous political election campaigns, political initiatives, and marketing strategies. As a long-standing member of the JU and the CSU, Guntram Dopfer held various honorary positions, including Deputy State Chairman of the Junge Union Bavaria, member of the CSU district executive committee in Weilheim-Schongau, and for ten years a member of the CSU regional executive committee in Upper Bavaria.
– on parental leave –
Rachel Gorfinkel has been working for the company in various positions since 2009. As a Director, she is responsible for project management and campaigns across various policy areas such as health, agriculture, and industrial policy. She specializes in planning and implementing targeted communication strategies and has a broad network of relevant political decision-makers and interest representatives. She herself has been a long-standing member of the SPD. Rachel Gorfinkel has worked at the Munich, Berlin, and Brussels offices, giving her in-depth knowledge of political processes at state, federal, and EU level. She holds a Master’s degree in political science from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and completed a part-time program in PR management at the German Press Academy.
Since August 2020, Catharina Neumeyer-Zowierucha has been working for CONCILIUS at the Berlin office. As a Director, she has been responsible since January 2022 for the area of security and defense, with a focus on budgetary and public procurement law. Previously, Neumeyer-Zowierucha worked as an international officer for Europe’s largest political youth organization as well as a research assistant in the Berlin office of a member of the German Bundestag. She has a broad network of decision-makers at EU, federal, and state level. Neumeyer completed her studies with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and geography and a Master’s degree in European administrative sciences.
Markus Russ has been with CONCILIUS since 2009 and has been a Partner and CEO of CONCILIUS Europe srl since 2012. Until 2009, Markus Russ was Head of the Brussels Liaison Office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation. Since 2007, he has been active as EU Representative of Times Media GmbH. He is also a Senior Advisor to AmCham Germany (since 2012) and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Economic Senate e.V. (since 2014). After completing his training as an officer in the German Armed Forces, Markus Russ studied political and social sciences at the Bundeswehr University in Munich and later completed a program as a “management consultant” at the AKW Business Academy in Bad Harzburg. During his professional career in the Bundeswehr, he served, among other roles, as youth and press officer of the regional military command and as head of the office in Nuremberg.
What values does CONCILIUS represent?
The representation of interests towards politics and administration is an integral part of democratic processes. In the exercise of their profession, the employees of CONCILIUS AG respect and promote the principles of national legislation and international law, in particular the principles of freedom of expression, the right to information, the independence of the media and the protection of personal rights.
Integrity, compliance with the democratic rules of the game, respect for the basic democratic order and the separation of powers, as well as the independence of the judiciary are the prerequisites for any serious government relations work.
Our employees guarantee compliance with the following principles in particular:
CONCILIUS is a member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Politikberatung e.V. (de'ge'pol), the association of political consultants in Germany. In this context, every CONCILIUS employee has personally committed himself or herself to follow the de'ge'pol code of conduct. The complete document can be found here:
We see it as our responsibility towards our clients to ensure the quality of our services as well as the professional competence of our employees - and to continuously develop it further.
We attach particular importance to the:
The complete catalogue of criteria for the quality control of de'ge'pol can be found here:
100
Years of lobbying
experience in the management team
Expert teams for
15
Industrial sectors
2000
Completed
Projects
