Havas Media India and SEA CEO Anita Nayyar to exit

Anita Nayyar, CEO of Havas Media India and Southeast Asia, will depart from the group in May 2020 after 13 years with the group to "pursue other interests". Marketing has reached out to Havas about Nayyar's replacement in Southeast Asia.

Nayyar (pictured) joined Havas in 2007 as CEO of Havas Media India, and took on the second role of CEO of Havas Media SEA in 2018. Under her lead, Havas Media India grew exponentially and expanded its offerings as an integrated communications group, the press statement said. According to her LinkedIn, Nayyer was executive director at media agency Starcom prior her time in Havas, overseeing the North India operations based out of Delhi.

Nayyar said it has been an "extremely fulfilling and meaningful journey" for the past 13 years. "I am grateful for the opportunities given by the network including the broader remit of SEA in 2018. As Havas Group India continues to reinforce its integrated model of operations, I am confident the Group will continue to chart its success story and I wish the team at Havas Group well with its future development," she added.

Following her departure, Nayyar will be handing the India leadership role to group MD Mohit Joshi. Joshi will be reporting to Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India in his new role. Joshi said he is grateful for the opportunity to step into his new role, and thanks Nayyar for her mentorship and guidance. "Working with Nayyar for over a decade has been an immensely rewarding and learning experience. She has been an integral part of Havas Media and valued by both clients and colleagues alike," he added.

Vishnu Mohan, chairman and CEO of Havas Group, India and Southeast Asia said Nayyar was vital in Havas Media India's success and growth. He added that as a future forward-thinking leader with a deep understanding of people, brand and media, Nayyar is an inspiration to the younger generation, and the group thanks Nayyar for her significant contributions.

Just two months ago, Havas Group acquired experiential agency Shobiz in India, marking its third acquisition in India in 2019, after design consultancy Think Design in May, and digital marketing agency Langoor in September. According to Mohan, the acquisition of Shobiz will further strengthen the breadth of Havas’ multi-disciplinary Village model of working and bring on board a different kind of creative skills set.

Separately last year, the group announced that Mike Amour is stepping down from his role as APAC CEO. The move came as Havas decided to simplify the lines of its management system for its media and creative leadership teams, to be more directly connected to the local APAC markets teams.

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