James Wright appointed group CEO Havas Media ANZ amid leadership transition

Havas has named James Wright as Havas Group CEO Australia and New Zealand, consolidating his current role as CEO of Havas Creative Network ANZ with leadership of the media arm.

The appointment follows the departure of Virginia Hyland, who led Havas Media Network ANZ. Havas said Hyland exits the business after completing an earn-out period after its acquisition of her independent agency, Hyland Media, in 2020.

Her departure comes just days after reports surfaced that Hyland had lodged a Breach of General Protections claim with the Federal Court against Havas. That dispute now appears to have been resolved, with today’s official announcement framing the leadership transition as amicable.

Wright, who returned to Australia in 2023 after a global stint, will retain his responsibilities as global CEO of Havas Red and global chair of the Havas PR Network. His expanded remit now includes oversight of the group’s media, creative, PR, public affairs and health operations across Australia and New Zealand.

In a statement, Wright thanked Hyland for her leadership and outlined plans to deepen integration across Havas’s business units.

“I want to thank Virginia for an amazing few years of success in the Media Group and wish her every success in the future," he said via a statement.

"Going forward we are strongly committed to driving our pioneering integration as a Group with many bold ambitions to maximise our talents, technology and data smarts that supercharge our teams and clients’ brands. We have a number of significant investments and moves planned to help us play and win differently as the challenger HoldCo in market.”

Hyland also issued a farewell message, thanking Havas for “welcoming Hyland Media and our clients into the fold” and wishing the team and clients “continued success” in the future.