Havas elevates Rana Barua to group CEO of Havas India, Southeast and North Asia

Havas has announced senior leadership changes.

The group’s India chief executive, Rana Barua, is adding additional responsibilities to his remit and will now oversee the agency’s Southeast and North Asia regions. Barua's expansion of duties means he adds nine new markets to his role as group CEO of India, Southeast and North Asia. Previously, Dubai-based Alberto Canteli was overseeing these regions. 

In terms of revenue, APAC is a smaller market for the Vivendi-owned agency group compared to Europe and North America. In 2019, the agency network pulled the plug on its APAC leadership structure, opting to have local leadership teams in China, Australia and India report directly to global bosses. 

Barua, whose career spans nearly three decades, has been at the helm of Havas India for the past five years. He’s currently based in Mumbai and oversees a team of over 2,000 people across the Paris-based agency’s creative and media network. 

Barua said about his new role, “I am extremely excited and thankful to the global leadership team for entrusting me with this additional responsibility. These nine distinct markets in Southeast & North Asia provide multiple and diverse occasions for collaboration for both our global and local clients. I look forward to working closely with the regional teams and each country’s leadership to create more meaningful engagements and opportunities for our talent and clients.”

In parallel, Alberto Canteli, overseeing multiple regions, will continue as chairman and chief executive of Havas Nordics, Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Canteli will also take on new responsibilities driving special projects in coordination with Donna Murphy, the global CEO of Havas Creative Network and Havas Health & You. 

Canteli’s new area of focus will include identifying growth levers and developing actionable strategies at the global level, including new client opportunities, services, expansion, and cross-selling. A long-time veteran of Havas, Canteli has been pivotal in the international expansion of Havas for more than twenty years.

“During moments like these of continued disruption and transformation, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to combine my regional responsibilities in Europe and the Middle East with a new role that will facilitate closer collaboration with our global leadership team.  AI, Web 3.0 and Blockchain, among other advancements, will have a strong impact on our industry and it will be a privilege to contribute to the transformation and turnaround of our business moving forward,” shared Canteli.

Chairman and global chief executive Yannick Bolloré congratulated Barua and Canteli on their expanded roles. He said for the duo, “Their proven leadership skills, vast expertise and innovative thinking will create new synergies and accelerate growth, allowing our teams to further build on Havas’ integrated approach and offer our clients the best possible outcomes.”