MAM
Havas in strategic deal with Brazilian agency Benza
MUMBAI: Havas Sports & Entertainment (HS&E), the global brand engagement network of Havas, has entered into a strategic partnership with independent Brazilian experiential marketing agency, Benza Promotions & Events.
Based in Rio, Benza will expand HS&E’s global brand engagement offering in this growing market in the run up to the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil and the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
HS&E Brazil Strategic Development & International Event Manager, Noémie Claret, will be in charge of developing synergies and new business between the two agencies, as well as between other sister agencies managed by Havas Brazil and Havas Digital Latin America CEO, Ricardo Reis.
Benza’s extensive track record in event creation and production will complement HS&E’s operations in S?o Paulo, which offers brands and institutions a wide range of specialized services including strategic consulting and planning, sponsorship activation, brand content, events and promotion. HS&E has been present in the Brazilian market for over two years, benefitting from the support of Havas Brazil, and has worked for clients such as BMW, Entourage, Hyundai, Louis Vuitton, Tetrapak, and Wipro.
Managed by founder Marcelo Benzaquem, Benza adds an attractive client base to the partnership, particularly its relationship with The Coca-Cola Company, already a client of HS&E and its recently-acquired US-based experiential agency ignition (which holds a prestigious ‘global partner’ status).
HS&E President & Global CEO Lucien Boyer commented, “This partnership will up-weight the services we deliver to current clients – which includes 11 Olympic sponsors during London 2012 – particularly as global brands and sports organizations prepare their strategies and activations around the World Cup and the Olympic Games in Brazil.”
“Marcelo‘s team has delivered exciting, creative campaigns that place celebration at the center of sports and entertainment events. Our agencies share a common spirit which will help us engage Brazilian and international fans in meaningful ways. We will achieve great things together from this close collaboration at such an important time for Brazil.”
Benza Founder Marcelo Benzaquem added, “We are delighted to join HS&E and benefit from the track record, insight, and global perspective of a network that is present in over 20 markets. We look forward to working together closely and offering innovative, integrated solutions to our clients.”
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
