Havas Group India has appointed Sumeer Mathur as National Planning Head & Managing Partner, Havas Worldwide India – the creative agency of the group with immediate effect.
Sumeer will be partnering Manas Lahiri, Managing Director and Ravinder Siwach, ED & NCD of Havas Worldwide (Creative) to scale up the agency further, collaborate with key clients including Reckitt, Citroën, Dabur, Suzuki, William Grant, Tata and Harman (JBL) among many others, and drive the strategic planning vision and expertise at Havas Creative India. Sumeer will be based out of the Gurgaon office and report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India.
Sumeer will also collaborate closely with Arindam Sengupta, Chief Client Officer of Havas Worldwide and Head, Group Integration; and with Prashant Tekwani, EVP & Business Head, Havas CX to drive the group’s vision of integration and CX. In addition, Sumeer will also join forces with the entire senior leadership of the group companies of Havas Group to help drive the integration across the network.
Talking about this appointment, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India, said, “The last two years have been game-changer for Havas Worldwide India. We have been relentless, focused and committed. This led to exponential growth, effective partnerships, and addition of several marquee clients. We need to now build a strong integrated leadership team that aggressively takes this growth mandate ahead. With Sumeer, Manas, Ravinder, Arindam, Prashant, Geet and all the other leaders forming the core team, it will further fuel our growth and empower us to deliver meaningful, ROI-centric marketing solutions for our clients. I am confident that Sumeer will drive this mandate quite effortlessly.”
Adding further, Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said, “The meaningful difference we make to our client’s business through our differentiated products, digital-led strategic solutions and engaging storytelling, is what led us to the top league in the industry. Sumeer will drive this further. Throughout his career, Sumeer has worked with strong business teams, delivering tangible business results. His keen interest in understanding what drives culture, what motivates consumers, and how digital technologies are reshaping brand interactions will add a tremendous value to our strategic planning function.”
Talking about his new role, Sumeer said, “I am excited to join a team that has driven an amazing growth story in such a short time and has diverse capabilities that deliver what brands and clients need. Havas Creative’s philosophy of meaningful brands is ahead of the curve in its understanding of the forces that shape consumer attitudes and behaviour in the world today. I look forward to leveraging this for our clients across categories.”
Sumeer has worked across sectors such as FMCG, Telecom, Automobiles, Foods for some of India’s leading brands including Royal Enfield, Bira, Mother Dairy, Airtel, Unilever’s Fair & Lovely, Clinic All Clear, Cadbury and many more. Over the years, he has had successful stints at leading agencies such as DDB Mudra Group, JWT, Rediffusion Y&R, Contract and Lowe Lintas. His last stint was at Edelman as Senior Vice President, National Planning & Strategy Head.
