5 Minutes with… David Shulman

At the start of 2024, Havas appointed David Shulman as the inaugural CEO of its global CX network. Operating as one unit across 26 Havas Villages, in more than 19 countries, David now leads 1,800 people under the Havas CX banner. David was previously chief experience officer at VML, CEO at Omnicom’s Organic, and president at Wunderman.

Based in New York, David’s spent his first 10 months in the role visiting Havas’ international hubs and helping put the finishing touches on the agency’s unified CX offering, which has been in the process of integrating since 2020. 

Discussing why CX has become vital to today’s consumers, and how the most successful brands are delivering on their promises through “extraordinary experiences”, David chats with LBB’s Ben Conway.

LBB> You had been a business leader - a CEO, MD, president - before, but moved to focus on the CX space in 2019, becoming chief experience officer at VML. What brought you to the experience side of things, and what’s kept you interested and motivated in that space for the last five years?

David> My career has always been based on understanding people and helping brands create value for customers. Building on the foundations of direct and digital marketing, CX advances our focus on designing human-centric experiences. So, in many ways, CX is a field that I've been in for decades, going all the way back to my undergraduate degree in psychology. It’s all about building an understanding of human behaviour and delivering experiences that are rewarding and meaningful to people's lives.

Today, I continue to be incredibly inspired by the evolving nature of customer expectations, the explosive developments in data and technology, and the challenge of understanding these dynamics to craft experiences that resonate deeply with people.

LBB> What attracted you to Havas CX, and what were some of your initial goals since joining in January? How have you made your mark on the team already in the first 10 months?

David> What initially attracted me to Havas was the depth of talent and breadth of CX capability that existed across the company. The opportunity to unite this into a global network to amplify how we approach CX and integrate it into the greater Havas organisation sealed the deal.

Since joining in January, what I’ve been most proud of is how we’ve been able to activate our global CX community to go to market with something truly exciting, differentiated and very aligned to the Havas mission of making a meaningful difference to brands, businesses and people.

My priority over the past 10 months has been to drive connectivity, and this has allowed us to create a powerful offering based on our expertise across data, AI, technology, transformation consulting, design and beyond. We have expertise in all parts of the world, and that allows us to elevate services for local clients and help global clients scale their businesses. It’s been most rewarding to see us land new clients, grow existing relationships, and help our clients win.

LBB> Starting in 2020, Havas has been integrating its CX capabilities across the network - how is Havas CX now structured and organised to fully operate as one?

David> We are in this business to build great relationships with our clients and in turn, help our clients build great relationships with the people they serve. We apply that same model to how we build a connected culture internally.

Our global CX leadership board brings together leaders that represent our key geographies and capabilities. This group defines our strategic path and represents the needs of our global network. Our centres of excellence ensure that we apply the best expertise and methodologies to delivering our CX offering with the highest quality and consistency around the world. Havas CX teams are embedded into the global Havas Villages, which further strengthens our structure and ensures that we partner seamlessly and effectively with our Creative, Media, and Health teams. 

LBB> And how do you ensure that Havas CX is working in lockstep with Havas’ Creative, Health and Media teams? 

David> CX is a capability that is fundamental to all parts of the Havas proposition. Through Havas’ new strategy and integrated operating model, Converged, we work hand in hand with Creative, Media, and Health to ensure that the best practices and innovative strategies are applied to deliver the most extraordinary work possible to our clients. We are co-located, collaborative and committed to doing the best work to drive our clients’ success.

LBB> At the head of Havas CX, you lead almost 2,000 people in around 20 countries. How do you gain a holistic view of the network’s CX capabilities, talents and challenges?

David> It starts with building trust with global leadership and delivering a vision that provides clarity and inspiration. Governance falls into place quite easily when you show up and take time to truly understand the markets. I’ve travelled extensively these last few months – having been to Asia twice, and Europe and the UK numerous times – and I use our virtual engagement tools to foster collaboration.

Another thing that’s important in all this is that we prioritise celebration here. By creating a culture of broadcasting and celebrating work and wins, our teams share and learn from each other. That kind of celebration really brings a network together.

LBB> What are the biggest challenges you face day-to-day, and how do you overcome them? Equally, what’s the most fulfilling part of your role?

David> In a global role such as this, the challenge has been to balance the quantity and complexity of things that we must navigate. The reward has been seeing our actions as leaders take on momentum of its own.

Nothing is more thrilling than seeing our teams extend this momentum to deliver work that makes people’s lives better. 

LBB> CX has become increasingly vital for business success - growing as a market year on year. Why is that? And how is Havas adapting to that?

David> CX has become vital because today’s consumers demand more than just a product or service - people seek meaningful experiences that connect with their values. Experience is about uniting the collective touchpoints and interactions a person has with a company in a way that makes their lives better.

We apply our Meaningful Brand Value Formula to help companies win. The most successful brands do what they say with extraordinary experiences that deliver on the promises they've made to people. 

LBB> What is some of the work that you’re proudest of since joining Havas in January? 

David> Since joining Havas, the activation of our global CX network has been incredible, and how we have integrated into the greater Havas network has been extraordinary. We’ve been able to approach complex client solutions in more meaningful ways, have established Centers of Excellence for key capabilities, and have expanded client scopes and won exciting new business that came as a direct result of collaboration and using the power of Havas to drive innovative solutions.

There have been more multiagency wins this year than ever before, and this shows our clients that we are bringing the best people and best teams to help them deliver more meaning and impact to their customers, employees, and business. 

LBB> Where are you seeing the most exciting opportunities in the CX space?

David> I am seeing significant opportunity in loyalty and membership. So many of our clients recognise that while they’ve done an effective job attracting new customers, they need to deepen these relationships with the customers they serve.

The topic of loyalty, though, must go beyond the traditional expectations of transactions or points programs to frame membership and loyalty through the notion of experience. We aim to understand what is fundamentally valuable to a user and build programmes that give people greater benefit, greater access, and greater personal meaning through the experiences we provide.

LBB> You recently published the annual X-Index Report - what can you tell us about that?

David> The Havas global X-Index report is our annual CX research report, sharing insights from a proprietary survey of over 50,000 people. The report analyses the best brands across virtually all consumer categories, highlighting what drives exceptional customer experience.

This year, we’re diving deeper into key markets, including the US, UK, India, and several countries across Europe, to provide market-specific insights that will help brands enhance their CX strategies. In the report, we share exactly how brands can go beyond those expectations to better serve their customers. It’s a deeply insightful tool for understanding market dynamics and staying ahead of customer expectations.