AD Agencies
Havas Health & You elevates leaders in India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East
Mumbai: Havas Health & You has elevated Susan Josi as managing director (MD) of the agency’s southeast Asia & Middle East division, and Sangeeta Barde as MD of Havas Life Sorento, with immediate effect.
Both professionals have been at the helm of Havas Health & You’s APAC-based agency since the network’s acquisition of Sorento in 2017.
“I am thrilled to witness as Sangeeta and Susan further showcase their immense talents and know-how, both regionally and globally. They have certainly made Havas Life Sorento a proof point for value addition in the area and will continue to lead with strategic vision," said Havas Health & You LATAM APAC partner & CEO Charles Houdoux.
Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Middle East together make up 14.6 per cent of the world’s total population, and the 2021 projection of GDP growth in India alone is expected to rise from 2.59 trillion to 3.96 trillion by 2025. These growth trends coupled with a societal focus on health create an ideal environment for growth in SEA and Middle Eastern countries, and global health brands are prioritising accordingly, said the company in a statement.
Josi is also known for driving the Havas Village model in India and for her development of the agency’s global client roster in the SEA and the Middle East regions. “The landscapes are changing dynamically and there is an intensified importance being placed on health and wellness. Our capabilities in these areas have grown to a point where it makes sense to have consistent regional leadership as health brands prioritise their presence in these markets,” she said.
At Sorento, Barde will drive the success model for offshoring and achieving strategic and impactful globalisation initiatives. “I am looking forward to leaning into the vast digitisation opportunities in our data and media centres and working to perfect new and simplified content creation models,” said Barde.
AD Agencies
Publicis Brazil’s creative chief Mauro Ramalho lands the jury chair at Abby Awards 2026
Mauro Ramalho brings 25 years of global advertising firepower to the new creative commerce, use of data and B2B category at Goafest
GOA: The Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show, has appointed Mauro Ramalho, chief creative officer of Publicis Brazil, as jury chair for its newly launched creative commerce, use of data and B2B category. The announcement, made on 18 March, signals the awards’ intent to bring serious international muscle to a category that sits squarely at the intersection of creativity and commercial performance.
Ramalho is not a name that needs much introduction in global advertising circles. Over 25 years spanning three countries, he has worked at some of the industry’s most creatively restless addresses. At AKQA in San Francisco, he worked across McDonald’s, Nike, Fox, Target, Kraft Foods and GAP, and helped lead “The Lost Ring” for McDonald’s, one of the first alternate reality campaigns and among the most awarded projects of its era. He later moved to Organic in Toronto, bridging the Detroit and Toronto offices on Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler, before spending over a decade building CUBOCC into one of Brazil’s most iconic and innovative independent agencies, which subsequently joined the IPG network.
A stint at FCB followed, where Ramalho led integrated work bridging online and offline, before he joined R/GA São Paulo as vice-president and executive creative director, stitching together the São Paulo office with New York, London, Portland and California on global clients including Verizon, Google, Meta, Samsung, American Express and Heineken. He now heads Publicis Brazil as its chief creative officer.
His trophy cabinet includes Clios, Effies, TikTok awards and MMA Smarties, and he has served on juries at the Andys, TikTok and the Lisbon Awards.
The Abby Awards 2026 is scheduled to take place at Goafest 2026 on 20, 21 and 22 May in Goa.
For Indian advertising, landing a jury chair of Ramalho’s calibre for a category built around data-driven creativity and commerce is a statement of ambition. Goafest just raised its own bar.
