Havas UK's Tracey Barber Promoted to Group CMO Role

Tracey Barber, previously CMO for Havas UK’s creative agencies, has been promoted to the new position of Group CMO. This new, expanded remit now covers all of Havas’ UK agencies – including, notably, its media businesses – and furthers the group’s commitment to breaking down silos between its historic creative and media groups, which were united under one P&L last year.

 

Barber takes on sole responsibility for all marketing, new business and PR activity across the group, which includes creative agency Havas London, customer engagement and data agency Havas helia, and media agencies Havas Media and Arena Media. Havas moved its UK agencies into the purpose-built ‘Havas Village’ in London’s Kings Cross in early 2017.

 

Her promotion comes on the back of a strong new business year for the creative agencies she has overseen since being appointed to the role in 2015, including most notably Havas London, which won more new accounts than any other creative agency in the UK. Its 11 wins in 2017 included Molson Coors trio Carling, Rekorderlig and Doom Bar, RB trio Air Wick, Clearasil and Finish, Expo 2020 Dubai and Dot London.

 

Chris Hirst, Europe & UK Group CEO at Havas says: “As our clients increasingly buy services, not necessarily specific agencies, the amount of cross-agency collaboration in the Havas Village is increasing exponentially. Just like we offer our clients one Havas business lead, it absolutely makes sense to have one joined up new business and marketing effort. And, as anyone who’s met her will know, Tracey is an absolute powerhouse at what she does.”

 

Tracey Barber adds: “Some of the biggest pitches on our radar involve multiple agencies within the Havas Village. This role will streamline that process, help unify our agencies and lead to more ‘Village’ wins – making the most of our biggest competitive advantage. Ultimately, it will result in a better, simpler and more efficient offer to our clients.”

 

Prior to being appointed CMO for Havas’ UK creative agencies, Barber was CMO at its customer engagement and data agency Havas helia – an agency she rejoined having previously spent six years as its Group Marketing Director between 2005-2011. Between these stints, she was CMO at Kitcatt Nohr from 2011-14. She has also worked client-side at Lloyds TSB, as well as stints at Cogent and Lowe Howard Spint earlier in her career. She is a non-executive director at the UK Ministry of Defence, as well as at the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.