MANILA – Publicis Worldwide Manila has added 50 new digital professionals from Havoc Digital Inc., to establish a beefier digital unit inside the agency for its clients.
Mike Palacios (left), CEO of Havoc, will lead the digital operation of Publicis Manila as Chief Digital Officer, adobo confirmed, encompassing strategy, creative, social media, mobile, e-commerce, analytics and production.
He also said that all of Havoc’s current clients, operations and equipment will also be part of the transition to Publicis Manila. However, he was quick to point out that the move was not born out from an acquisition or merger.
“Basically, for all intents and purposes, Havoc is Publicis Manila Digital,” he said, possibly hinting to the name for the digital unit inside the agency.
Publicis also welcomed Raul Villegas (right) as its new managing director, returning to Manila after 10 years working abroad. He was previously with BBDO Beijing, leading the Mercedes business in China.
Matec Villanueva, chairman and CEO of Publicis Manila said in a statement: “We are thrilled to welcome Raul, Mike and his team to our family. Not only does it significantly strengthen our agency, it gives us a truly unique digital firepower in this market and creates a new opportunity for us to provide even more innovative creative work for our clients.”
The addition of Havoc, comes on the back of several significant additions to Publicis Worldwide’s digital capabilities across Asia Pacific in the past 12 months, including in Australia and Singapore.
Loris Nold, CEO for Publicis Worldwide APAC and Emerging Markets said that the addition of the Havoc team has transformed Publicis Manila into a totally future-facing business.
“Having Havoc fully integrated into Publicis Manila with Mike leading the team is great news. It is our strategic priority to build best in class digital communication capabilities in the region for the benefit of our clients. And with Raul, we are adding a world class senior talent in this important market.”
