SINGAPORE – December 10, 2013 – Havas Worldwide today announced the appointment of Dan Gibson, current Managing Director for Host Singapore, to concurrently lead Havas Worldwide Singapore as Group MD.
Gibson has been in Singapore since 2010, joining Ogilvy Advertising from 180 Amsterdam as MD until being appointed to lead the start-up of Host Singapore in October 2012, Havas Worldwide said in a press release.
Gibson commented, “Havas Worldwide Singapore and Host Singapore will continue to operate as independent brands. Both are proud agencies, with strong recent New Business records, and I look forward to helping accelerate that collective momentum”.
Under his tenure over the past year, he has delivered accelerated growth as Host Singapore now boasts a client roster that includes regional management of Coca-Cola’s Stills portfolio, global work for Unilever’s Lux brand, Google, Topshop, Citibank & SMRT.
2013 has been a year of re-architecting and reinvigorating the Havas Worldwide Singapore office – including the launch in January of Havas Life in Southeast Asia with Dr VJ Yamat at the helm, the strengthening of planning and digital expertise with the hires of Stefano Augello, Head of Strategic Planning and Carl Griffith, Head of Digital, and the expansion of Havas Worldwide Siren across the SEA region. On the new business front, Havas Worldwide Singapore retained the prestigious NTUC FairPrice account earlier this year, and has added new regional clients including Total and Seagate.
Naomi Troni commented, "We have focused this year on integrated planning and channel communications for international clients, with Havas Worldwide Singapore now an APAC hub for a range of global brands including Air France, Credit Suisse, Merck, Seagate and Total. We are excited for Dan to now lead Havas Worldwide Singapore to the next level of growth.”
Commenting on the appointment, Juan Rocamora, Chairman for Havas Worldwide Asia-Pacific, said, “This is win-win for both Host and Havas Worldwide. The agencies have complementary strengths, and Dan’s creatively-driven leadership, as well as his strong local experience, will be critical in driving the Havas Creative Group forward within the newly formed Havas Village.”
Meanwhile, Anthony Freedman, Regional CEO of Host, "Dan’s expanded role is testament to the great job he has done at Host over the last year. I strongly believe that with Dan now able to leverage the relative strengths of both brands within Singapore, Host will be well positioned to build on an excellent first year."
