Havas Media Network Appoints Jackie Lyons as Chief Planning Officer for North America

Havas Media Network today announced the appointment of Jackie Lyons to the newly created role of chief planning officer for North America. Based in New York, she reports directly to North America CEO, Greg James. The appointment comes as the agency continues its strong momentum and investment to deliver best-in-market solutions for clients across the North American market and will bring its unique Mx process and capabilities to the next level.

Lyons’ will be instrumental in helping brands achieve meaningful business success and transformative growth through data-backed media planning, namely Havas Media’s exclusive Mx process.  As the Mx (media experience) lead for the agency, she will develop client-centric approaches that unlock the full potential of Converged, Havas's global operating system, which was announced by global Havas Chairman and CEO, Yannick Bolloré at Cannes this past June. Lyons will help clients better understand their customers’ behaviors and the entire consumer purchase journey to more strongly deliver effective growth solutions through media planning.

“While we provide clients with a wide range of services across technology, data, sponsorship, content and much more, media planning remains a core part of our business as media is one of the strongest drivers of growth,” said Greg James, CEO of Havas Media Network North America. “We believe modern media planning covers content, connection and context and Jackie’s role, along with her unparalleled track record and planning expertise, makes sure that Mx unlocks that for our clients.”

Most recently serving as Chief Planning Officer for Havas Media Network UK, Lyons joined the global agency as Head of Planning on its media experience team in 2020. Prior to Havas Media, she spent over five years at Carat London, first as Client Director for Diageo Europe followed by planning partner. She was also previously Media Director at PHD.

"Since joining Havas Media Network in 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Greg James for many years now and am so excited to be joining the team in North America,” said Lyons. “I look forward to bringing my long history of unlocking new and exciting opportunities for clients, as well as my passion for blending both the art and science of communications planning to this new role with the agency.”

During her time at Havas Media Network UK, Lyons founded a new specialized planning team called the Connected Planning Hub. This team allowed Havas Media Network UK to deploy different planning skillsets to solve different client challenges, whilst also connecting the dots across specialist agencies in the network, and upskilling planning capabilities for junior teams.

Lyons begins her new role immediately.