SINGAPORE – Havas Worldwide Southeast Asia (SEA), one of the leading integrated marketing communications agencies, has promoted Dr Victor Joseph ‘VJ’ Yamat to the role of Managing Director of Healthcare Operations SEA in a move that underscores the agency’s effort in bolstering its growing Health portfolio and business across the region. In his new role, Dr Yamat will report to Juan Rocamora, Chairman of Havas Worldwide Asia-Pacific.
Previously the Healthcare Director of SEA, Dr Yamat was responsible in launching and nurturing Havas Life, the agency’s specialised healthcare practice. Under his leadership, Havas’ health and wellness business in the region has seen significant growth – he spearheaded major pitch wins for prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare businesses in Singapore, as well as in other Havas Worldwide offices in the region. Current Havas Life SEA clients include MSD, Reckitt Benckiser, Sanofi, Merial (the animal health company of the Sanofi Group), Mundipharma, Eisai, Kalbe, and Medibank, amongst others.
A trained medical doctor, Dr Yamat was formerly Managing Director of McCann Healthcare Philippines and also served as Vice President for McCann Worldgroup Philippines. Dr Yamat was also the very first employee of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group in Greater China, where as Senior Vice President, he was responsible for building a team to service the Publicis Groupe’s global relationships such as Sanofi (Publicis Life Brands) and Mead Johnson (Saatchi & Saatchi Health). He has also served as Business Director of then upstart Ogilvy Healthworld in Singapore.
“In just over a year, Havas Life has seen exponential growth under Dr VJ’s stewardship with more regional clients coming on board, hoping to tap on Havas’ expertise in delivering effective communications strategy,” said Juan Rocamora. “With this well-deserved promotion, I am confident that Dr VJ and his team will help our agency move forward in strengthening our market leadership in the health and wellness sector,” he continued.
