AD Agencies
Havas re-purposes 25 pc staff for data & programmatic; next phase in Feb
MUMBAI: Havas Group has re-purposed over 25 per cent of its employees (5000 out of 20000) to become 100 per cent Programmatic through a new proprietary training programme that reinforces the together strategy and provides an uncommon foundation for all employees.
The group now focuses both on data and programmatic, two key pillars for the future of the communications industry. Cent per cent programmatic is an internal certification program that enables all employees to integrate programmatic with confidence. It provides mastery (through knowledge), autonomy (through hands-on activities) and keys to purpose (through in-house Havas analysis), via a proprietary online learning platform called Havas University.
Havas Group deputy CEO, group’s Spain chairman and media group CEO Alfonso RodésVilà explains, “Our vision is focused on the future. Programmatic is the new reality and whatever our role is, we must understand audiences, addressable content and personalized messages. Media will essentially become code – ones and zeros – and knowing how to approach this coded data will set us apart from the rest of the industry.”
Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group global CEO Andrew Benett adds, “Programmatic is more than media. It reflects a total change in our industry and has vast implications for creativity as well. We have always used audience data and personalized messaging to drive creative solutions, and now we can do that through automation to achieve scale. It’s just as important for our creative teams to understand this as our media teams.”
Havas Media Group chief human resources officer Celine Merle-Beral, “The program was built by a very passionate team who shared their expertise to help us step up our game and lead the way. This investment is part of Havas’ commitment to our people, to their personal development, and to our common future.”
The program offers employees 8 to 10 hours of online courses with rich content including texts, videos, interviews, quizzes and forums, featuring Havas Group staff and technology partners. The training programme offers three levels:
· Fundamentals, covering programmatic language and concepts, and the impact on both Creative and Media
· Advanced, including day-to-day applications, with adapted modules depending on position
· Elite, focusing on strategic vision, programmatic leadership skills for community building and network development
The impact on employees was real. Participants were surveyed for feedback and the results are overwhelming: 96 per cent of participants feel more confident speaking about programmatic. 97 per cent of participants feel that the content of this course was of greater value than what they can find on the internet. 97 per cent of participants recommend this training to their colleagues.
100% Programmatic began with a pilot test of content between May and July for employees at Havas Media Group in 15 countries. The first phase of programme rollout occurred in September for employees at both creative and media entities in more than 40 countries. The next phase will be launched in February 2017 to expand its reach and results.
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
