Havas Media names Carey Loh SG CEO as Pankaj Nayak exits

Havas Media Network has appointed Carey Loh (pictured left) as CEO of its Singapore operations, succeeding Pankaj Nayak (pictured right), who is stepping down from the role to pursue other opportunities.

Loh joins the role after more than 16 years with WPP Media. He most recently served as client president of WPP Media Singapore from May 2025, having previously held the same position at GroupM Singapore between December 2024 and May 2025.

He brings extensive experience across the media agency network, having spent more than seven years at Mindshare Singapore. He was managing director from January 2021 to November 2024, following a stint as managing partner, client leadership.

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Before that, Loh held several leadership positions across MEC in Hong Kong and China, including managing partner and client lead in Hong Kong, and managing director of its Shanghai operations. He also led Microsoft's global advertising and media activities in China while based in Beijing.

Earlier in his career, Loh was head of digital at Havas Media Group in Beijing from May to December 2009. He also held digital leadership roles at Starcom Media and Euro RSCG.

In his new role, Loh will report to Rana Barua (pictured right above), group CEO of Havas India, Southeast Asia and North Asia. He will focus on strengthening the network's media capabilities, expanding client partnerships, accelerating innovation and building high-performing teams.

Meanwhile, Nayak joined Havas Media Network in January 2025 as CEO of its Singapore operations and president of Southeast Asia. During his tenure, he focused on strengthening the network's capabilities, building its leadership bench and driving new business growth.

Within his first six months, Nayak established Havas Market and CSA with key regional hires, expanding the agency's capabilities in areas including social and influencer marketing, eCommerce and data.

He also built a new leadership team to develop business pipelines, many of which began converting in the second half of 2026.

"With increased global focus on new core capabilities such as social and influencer, eCommerce and data, I set up Havas Market and CSA with key regional hires within the first six months, giving a whole new dimension to our client work and our new business efforts," Nayak told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

Under his leadership, Havas Media Singapore secured several new business wins following an extended period of renewal and defence pitches. These included Puma Southeast Asia, which returned to Havas Singapore, and Vincar, which the agency won through a multi-agency pitch.

The agency also expanded its relationship with Direct Asia Insurance to include Budget Direct, with the mandate extending to Havas Play.

Nayak also highlighted the reset of Havas Play's team earlier this year, which helped the agency secure new clients including CAAS/SAA and Paradox Hotels.

Another priority was strengthening collaboration between the media teams and Havas Play, Havas Market and CSA, alongside investing in talent, employee wellbeing and the wider Southeast Asia network. The agency also sought to increase its participation in regional and global pitches through a stronger regional leadership structure.

"With the right leadership team in place, it was time for me to move into my next challenge," Nayak said.

He added that he was currently in discussions to partner with a Singapore-headquartered commercial expansion and growth consultancy, but would first take time to rest and recharge before embarking on his next phase in 2027.

Nayak previously spent nearly three years at dentsu Singapore as managing director of its media group, a role he held from April 2022 to December 2024.

Prior to dentsu, he was chief marketing officer at OMD APAC between March 2019 and April 2021, where he led regional business development and marketing, overseeing new business pipelines across 13 markets. He also held several regional business development and client leadership positions at Omnicom Media Group, including director of business development for Asia Pacific and regional business director at OMD.

His earlier career included stints at MediaCom in Singapore and Malaysia, Euro RSCG in Hong Kong and India, and MediaCom India. He began his career in sales and marketing services at Zee Telefilms in 2000.

Barua said Singapore remained a critical growth market for Havas Media Network in Asia and played an important role in advancing its "Growth, powered by desire" strategy.

"In a market where consumer expectations are evolving and the media landscape becomes increasingly complex, our focus is on understanding what drives people's choices and translating those insights into meaningful business outcomes. By combining our media expertise with the broader capabilities of the Havas Village, we can deliver more connected, integrated solutions that help our clients stay ahead and unlock new opportunities for growth," he said.

The leadership change comes amid a series of leadership movements across Havas' Asia Pacific operations. In Singapore, Havas Media Network appointed Teresa Goh as general manager of Havas Play Singapore in April, following the departure of CEO Kenny Yap.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, Havas appointed Charlie Clack as managing director in September, succeeding Andrew Cawte, who retired after 11 years with the agency.

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