Havas Media Network promotes Alastair Baker to newly created chief planning officer role

Following the announcement of the evolution to the Havas global strategy and significant investment of $400 million EU into data, tech and AI, Havas Media Australia has promoted Alastair Baker to chief planning officer, a newly created role.

Baker was previously head of planning, where he championed the development of innovative work that drove client growth.

In his new role, Baker’s remit is to develop the local client-centric approach, unlocking the full potential of Converged capabilities which deliver for marketers the ability to activate hyper-personalised solutions. Havas is looking to the future to prepare for a new chapter to provide solutions to marketers who need a single customer view. Baker’s role will see him develop tools, processes and structures that support seamless integration of all the agency’s capabilities, including modelling, ecommerce, search, content and multi-channel activities.

Baker’s focus will be on driving profitable growth for Havas’ clients in the short and long term, to help brands achieve a competitive edge by delivering greater numbers of returning high value customers.

Baker’s career encompasses more than 15 years, working across media, creative and digital agencies in the UK and Australia. He has worked at agencies including Dentsu X UK, Vizeum UK and iProspect (a Dentsu company) in Melbourne.

Says Virginia Hyland, CEO, Havas Media Network: “We are at a critical time in our industry where marketers are feeling the loaded pressure from their businesses to do more with the same or lower budgets, do more with the same team. Our goal is to simplify the complicated for them. This challenge creates an opportunity for Alastair to develop customer solutions that enable clients’ businesses to deliver meaningful growth through understanding how to best utilise content in the most effective media channel and deliver influential always on engagement. Alastair’s role will mean that Havas Media continues to transform into the agency that is needed by marketers who are constantly faced with new challenges on a daily basis. He is such a talent, and we are excited to elevate him as a pivotal leader.”

Of his new role Baker says: “I’m energised by Havas’ investment in technology and data to deliver best-in-market solutions for clients. This new role is an exciting part of that commitment and a personal chapter I’m looking forward to greatly. It’s an unprecedented opportunity to work with clients to help them better understand their customers’ behaviours across the entire purchase journey and deliver effective growth solutions.”

Baker will start his new role effective immediately as chief planning officer and will introduce an integrated Converged planning process and improved data and tool strategy, to drive smarter, profit-driven decisions for clients.