Havas has appointed David Shulman as the inaugural CEO of its global CX network, leading a group of more than 1,800 people across 26 Havas Villages in more than 19 countries around the world, operating in a fully integrated as One Havas.
Shulman joins the network from his most recent role as chief experience officer at VML. He was previously the CEO of Omnicom Group’s Organic and was president at Wunderman. Shulman’s career began client-side in brand strategy at Jaguar.
Shulman will be based in New York and report to Donna Murphy, Global CEO of Havas Creative Network and Havas Health & You.
Yannick Bolloré, chairman and Global CEO, Havas, welcomed Shulman’s appointment and said: “His leadership will further unify Havas’ existing brand partnerships and strengthen the network’s ability to better meet the business transformation needs of our clients”
Murphy said that Shulman leading the network, Havas will deliver increased brand value and more meaningful experiences. She added: “David’s extensive digital transformation and strategy experience, both in and outside of the agency world, make him an ideal leader for this critical role.”
Havas has been integrating and aligning the CX capabilities of its specialty shops, such as BETC Fullsix, Think Design (user experience) and Gate One (a digital and transformation consultancy), among others, since 2020.
Shulman’s leadership, there will be the right structure and approach for CX to fully operate as a network to create meaningful experiences. With the global CX market growing by approximately 11% year over year, Havas will be positioned to capture a large portion of that market.
On his new appointment, Shulman noted that customers now hold brands accountable on delivering the promises they communicate.
He said: “Havas’ strength in Creative, Health, and Media, matched with a powerful CX network, creates a unique formula to deliver meaningful experiences that help brands differentiate and win.”
Shulman joins with a strong team in place that includes Ol Janus, global chief data officer; Pat Thistlethwaite, global chief growth officer; Dennis Urbaniak, global chief experience officer; Umbar Shakir, MD experience consulting; Olivier Vigneaux, MD EMEA; Esteban Calvo, MD LatAm; Prashant Tekwani, managing partner India, as well as the established CX leaders across the network.
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Top image: David Shulman