Continuing its pioneering Together strategy,
Havas has today announced the appointment of Anthony Freedman (left) in
the newly created role of chairman, Havas Group Australia and New
Zealand.
Freedman will oversee a team of almost 500
people across Havas Sydney, Havas Melbourne, Havas New Zealand, Havas
Media, Host, One Green Bean and Red Agency, with offices in Sydney,
Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland.
He will be supported by five CEOs, Anthony Gregorio and Mike Wilson who
continue in their current roles as group CEO Havas and group CEO Havas
Media, across Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, James Wright, CEO Red
Agency, Carl Ratcliff, CEO One Green Bean and Laura Aldington who is
appointed CEO Host after significant success leading the agency as managing director.
Wright will also assume additional
responsibilities, with the roll out of Red Agency across APAC, following
its successful launch in Singapore last year, as well as taking on the
newly created role of chief commercial officer, Havas Group
Australia/New Zealand.
Freedman's appointment across both
creative and media agencies follows the March announcement of a global
restructure in which the creative and media businesses became business
units under one regional P&L, providing clients with a more agile
and seamless experience.
This is a further next step in the
Group's Together strategy, following the roll out of 48 Havas Villages
across the world, bringing together Havas agencies of different
disciplines within a single location.
Freedman's relationship
with Havas began in 2011 following the acquisition of 51% of Host and
One Green Bean, agencies that he founded in 2000 and 2007, respectively.
Says Freedman: "I believe the Together strategy provides
clients with an answer to the fragmentation surrounding audiences,
media, and agencies. Anthony, Mike and James have made exceptional
progress with the Villages in Sydney and Melbourne and I look forward to
working closely with them, along with Laura and Carl, to help build
further success.
"We have ambition for
significant growth fueled by closer collaboration between our agencies,
allowing us to leverage the true scale of the Group in Australia and New
Zealand. We are also planning a number of investments with particular
focus on data, content, brand tech and healthcare."
Says Mike Amour,
CEO Havas APAC Group: "This is an exciting time for Havas and we
are committed to creating a real challenger to the established larger
players in Australia and New Zealand, with a more progressive, more
flexible and more client centric offering. Anthony has a proven track
record in delivering that, with Host growing to become Australia's
largest independent agency at the time of our acquisition and One Green
Bean established as one of Australia's most creatively awarded PR and
social agencies. Anthony is one of the most pioneering entrepreneurs in
Australia with outstanding commercial acumen and a restless passion for
helping organisations achieve their goals. We are excited about the
potential for further, accelerated growth in Australia and New Zealand,
under his leadership."
Says Yannick Bolloré, chairman and chief executive officer, Havas Group: "Australia is one of our most
important markets with a long history of world class strategic and
creative thinking. I believe Anthony and his team will have great
success helping our clients to capitalize on our converged
capabilities."