MUMBAI: Global advertising and marketing agency, Havas has named Bobby Pawar as its new chairman and chief creative officer (CCO) for its India operations, effective January 2019.
The new role will see Pawar lead the strategic vision the company’s integrated operations and oversee its progress with clients in the creative, media, health and digital sectors. He will be reporting to Havas India and SouthEast Asia chairman Vishnu Mohan and work closely with Havas India CEO Rana Barua.
Pawar has 27 years of experience in the marketing field, having worked with top brands such as Publicis, JWT and Ogilvy.
Pawar said: “It’s a great time to be in the advertising industry as data and technology have added depth and breadth to the creative product. Havas Group provides the perfect platform to reinvent our industry by blending the best of both worlds: relentless creativity and smart media accountability. Additionally, by being a part of Vivendi, Havas Group has a huge opportunity to make tangible in-roads into the entertainment industry. The prospect of leveraging the assets of Universal Music, Dailymotion, Gameloft (Vivendi companies) to solve a business problem is extremely exciting and I am delighted at the opportunity and looking forward to my new role.”
Commenting on Pawar’s appointment, Mohan noted: “Collectively, as a network, we are focused on providing clients with great work by investing in the best talent. We hire for the future, not the past and we believe that Bobby is a timely and critical hire for Havas Group. Bobby’s work has made him one of the most awarded Indian creatives in the industry and he is known for transforming agency culture and reputation on the strength and quality of the creative product. Additionally, his experience across traditional, digital, experiential, and media agencies will bolster our overall integrated product. Bobby’s appointment will fuel our ambition for India and herald a new chapter of success and I am delighted to welcome him to the team.”
