SYDNEY – Havas Group has announced it will be creating a new agency in Australia, bringing together two of its advertising agencies, Host and Havas Sydney to become Host/Havas.
This move further expands the Group’s capabilities and is the next step for the Australian business in delivering the Havas global “Together” strategy that sees the co‐location of its agencies in Villages to advance significant opportunities for clients and its staff.
The new Host/Havas creative agency will have a combined team of 220 people, around 100 of whom are digital specialists. This is complemented by a further 120 people at sister agencies Red Agency and Havas Media that are also based in the Havas Village Sydney on Clarence Street.
Anthony Freedman, Chairman Havas Group ANZ said, “We have an amazing opportunity to bring together two great agencies to create one bigger, brilliant one. Host/Havas will be one of the largest agencies in Sydney, where cut‐through creativity meets state‐of‐the‐art marketing science. It will blend network scale with start‐up spirit and is another important step in our successful Better Together global strategy.”
The agency will be led by Host CEO Laura Aldington, who becomes CEO Host/Havas and she will be supported by current Havas Sydney Managing Director, Dan Smith, who assumes the MD role of Host/Havas. The remainder of the new agency’s management team will include all senior personnel from both Host and Havas Sydney, with the exception of Anthony Gregorio, Group CEO of Havas, who will be leaving the agency.
Freedman said, “I would like to take the opportunity to thank Anthony for his huge contribution over many years. He leaves a phenomenal legacy and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
Anthony Gregorio said, “I’m very proud of the businesses I have helped to build during my 15 years with the Havas Group in Australia. In particular over the last five years, Havas has become well known for its integrated approach to brand building across creative, PR and media. Host/Havas will be an exciting new proposition for the Group in Australia, but I feel this is the perfect opportunity to draw a line under my Havas adventure and look for new opportunities after a well‐earned break. I wish Anthony, Laura, Dan and the rest of the Host/Havas team and the wider Havas Village, the very best.”
