Havas NZ strengthens social first offering and Village proposition with senior promotions

Havas New Zealand has announced a series of senior promotions as it strengthens its integrated Village proposition and expands its social-first offering. The appointments reflect the agency’s continued investment in talent and capability to drive this next phase of growth.

Rafis Kadir (above right), who has been with Havas NZ since 2017 as Head of Client Experience, steps into the role of Managing Partner, Havas NZ Village, where he will lead the agency’s integrated model and strengthen client partnerships across the business. Prior to joining Havas, he spent 18 months with Carat, and also held senior roles at OMD, Ogilvy, and MEC (now part of WPP Media).

Molly Hunt (centre) has been promoted to Senior Account Executive. Since joining the agency in 2024, she has made a strong impact, bringing a clear understanding of social channels. In her new role, she will take on greater responsibility across key client portfolios, helping to deliver work that drives meaningful business outcomes.

Finally, Matt May (left) steps into the role of Creative Director. May brings extensive creative thinking and leadership to the integrated offering, and has played a key role in shaping and amplifying social first thinking across all channels, from OOH and TV through to performance, creating a connected and aligned ecosystem for clients.

Says Kadir: “These promotions reflect the strength of talent we are building at Havas. Molly and Matt both bring a strong understanding of how modern brands need to show up in a social first world.

“We are seeing real momentum driven by positive client feedback on both our work and the relationships we have built over time. With our broader Village offering, we are well positioned to deliver meaningful impact for our clients.”

Says Kate O’Ryan-Roeder, Chief Executive Office at Havas Media ANZ: “Rafis, Molly and Matt have each played an important role in building the momentum we’re seeing across our New Zealand business, and these promotions are a reflection of both their contribution and our ambitions for the future.

“We’re continuing to invest in exceptional talent and an integrated Village model that brings together media, creative and social to solve bigger challenges for clients. With leaders like Rafis at the helm and a strong team around him, we’re excited about the next phase of growth for Havas in New Zealand.”

The promotions will support Havas doubling down on its focus of producing deliberately different work across media, creative and social. With strong talent, an integrated model and the backing of a global network, it continues to build its reputation as one of the most exciting and trusted challenger agencies in the market.

The Havas agency Village in New Zealand continues to partner with leading brands including JDE, Fever Tree, Emirates and Avis Budget Group, delivering work that cuts through and drives business impact across categories.

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