MAM
Havas appoints Vincent Bollore as chairman; Philippe Wahl as CEO
MUMBAI: Post the sudden resignation of erstwhile Havas chairman and CEO Alain de Pouzilhac late last month, the French advertising agency has appointed Vincent Bollore as its new chairman.
Incidentally Bollore happens to be the single largest shareholder who has more than a 20 per cent stake in the company.
The Board of Directors also appointed Philippe Wahl as chief executive officer of Havas. Jacques Herail will continue in his role as chief financial officer alongside him.
Post his appointment, Bollore proposed the nomination of three vice presidents — Arnold Worldwide Partners CEO Ed Eskandarian, Arnold Worldwide Partners chief creative officer Jacques Seguela and MPG chief executive officer Fernando Rodes.
These individuals embody the Group’s long standing managerial equity and historical development, each of them having contributed in turn his own agency, and represent the Group’s continuity through their roles within the company. With Bollore, the three vice presidents will lead a Strategic Committee, chaired by Leopoldo Rodes.
The agency will also appoint five managing directors – Mercedes Erra, Stephane Fouks, David Jones and Remi Babinet, all of whom symbolise the participation of a new generation in the management of the Group.
An executive committee has been created and will bring together during weekly meetings the president, the three vice presidents, the CEO, the managing directors and the CFO.
Following the announcement, Bollore said, “My personal contribution at the head of the Havas Group demonstrates the long term commitment of the Bollore Group to the strategic development and growth of Havas and its activties.”
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
