Red Havas appoints returning Aussie as CEO
More leadership changes are underway at Havas Creative Group with the installation of PR firm Red Havas’ new chief executive officer, Shane Russell.
Russell returns to Australia after a decade at New York-based 5W Public Relations, taking over the leadership remit that was previously held by Simone Gupta, in her remit as Havas PR Australia CEO.
Red Havas has undergone a series of changes in the last seven months, with former managing director, Steve Fontanot leaving the role in September, following his promotion to a group role as commercial managing director for APAC.
At the time, Havas Creative group said there were no immediate plans to replace Fontanot’s role, with the agency instead led by a national managing partner bench.
Gupta stood down shortly after in November, with Havas PR agencies Red Havas, Havas Blvd, One Green Bean and Organic now reporting directly into recently returned CEO of Havas Group Australia, and Red Havas Global CEO, James Wright.
Wright, who has also recently overseen a “strategic reshaping” across the Havas Village, was welcoming of the latest appointment.
“Red Havas is one of the fastest-growing PR networks across the globe. Knowing first-hand the competitive nature of the New York environment, I’m excited to see Shane bring the skills and enterprising attitude that saw him thrive in the US and apply them to our ambitious growth plans in Australia,” he said.
Having grown up in Queensland, Russell said he was “energised” to be returning to the Australian market.
“While Red has the backing of Havas Village and the global Havas network, I believe the entrepreneurial and creative spirit of the agency sets us apart for winning world-class clients and talent,” said Russell.
“I’m excited to work on further building our reputation for leading-edge creativity alongside a phenomenal roster of consumer and corporate brands. With my strong professional background in all areas of technology, I’m also excited by the significant investments Red is making to increase our presence as a leading agency in the tech sector.”
Russell’s appointment is the latest in a series of leadership restructures across the Havas Creative Group, as the agency group aligns itself with global strategy.
At Host/Havas, former Dentsu chief client officer, Gayle While was last month appointed to the CEO role, following Laura Aldington’s departure in January. Aldington had been with the Havas creative agency for 15 years, holding the CEO role is 2017.
Also at Host/Havas, Ant Moore was two week’s ago was elevated from managing partner to managing director.
Other changes also included the reshaping of the leadership team at One Green Bean earlier this year, which saw the promotion of Amber Abbott and Lauren Bailey to the newly created roles of managing director, and director of innovation.
Last year the group acquired health communications agency, Bastian Brands, adding pharma expertise to its Havas Health & You (HH&Y) health network.
According to Havas Group’s global full-year results, released in March, the group is performing strongly, recording an uplift of €424 million (A$677 million) in revenue for 2022 compared to 2021.
In Asia Pacific, the group saw €227 million (A$362 million) in revenue for the year ended 31 December 2022, a 22.7% increase YoY from €185 million ($295 million) in 2021.
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