Havas Media UK launches with £650m in media billings. Lord Watson - Chairman/Mark Craze - CEO

Nov. 13, 2008 - PRLog -- Havas Media, part of the global advertising giant Havas, is putting together all of its UK operating businesses into a new Havas Media UK (HMUK) group organisation. Lord Watson is appointed Chairman and Mark Craze is the new HMUK CEO.

HMUK launches with immediate effect. The move ensures that Havas Media UK’s deep pool of highly-experienced and talented people truly collaborate during the economically challenging times ahead.

The establishment of HMUK will also drive deeper integration of traditional media planning and buying with a variety of disciplines such as digital, data, direct, sports and entertainment, experiential, branded content and PR.

Havas Media is gathering its UK operating units, including MPG (which also comprises London-based MPG International and digital, data and direct specialist Media Contacts); sports communication consultancy Havas Sports; integrated communications agency Arena BLM (which also includes its digital, data and direct specialist BLM Quantum); branded content and PR specialist Cake and digital agency archibald ingall stretton (AIS).

Mark Craze moves from being a managing partner at MPG UK to take on the new role of HMUK CEO. Marc Mendoza, also currently a managing partner, will now assume full day-to-day control of MPG UK, becoming CEO.

The HMUK board, chaired by Lord Watson, will include: Steve Booth, CEO Arena BLM; Jon Ingall, managing partner AIS; Mike Mathieson, CEO Cake, Keith Impey, CEO Havas Sports UK, Marc Mendoza, CEO MPG UK and Mark Craze, CEO HMUK.

Alfonso Rodes, Global CEO of Havas Media, commented: “The UK is a vital market for us.  The recent acquisitions allow us to build on our core skills of traditional and digital media by adding in cutting-edge thinking and delivery in areas such as advertiser-funded content, experiential, PR and event marketing.”

“I am convinced that we are creating a new model of a full-service media network for the UK: one that is rich in award-winning talent everywhere you look, bursting with creativity and innovation and is defined by a spirit of collaboration in a distinctive entrepreneurial culture,” he said.

He added: “Havas Media UK will become a magnet for the most talented people working in British media. I am particularly delighted that Lord Watson has agreed to serve as Chairman of our Advisory Board. We pride ourselves on the strength in depth of our team and we chose to acquire businesses where the partners actively add value to clients’ business everyday. This is our defining benefit to clients looking for competitive advantage – the leaders of all our businesses actively work on theirs.”

Mark Craze commented: “Everywhere you look in this group there is outstanding experienced talent.  It is an exciting opportunity to work with this team in a new model of integration and collaboration for the benefit of our clients.”

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Notes to journalists:

Lord Watson of Richmond CBE
Lord Watson of Richmond has immense media experience.   Previously Alan Watson, he is a former presenter of Panorama on BBC1 and The Money Programme on BBC2, a Fellow and former Chairman of the Royal Television Society and for four years was responsible for media at the European Commission.  Lord Watson’s business career includes 12 years as European Chairman of Burson Marsteller and his current chairmanship of the creative digital media company CTN Communications.  A former President of the Liberal Party, he was made a Life Peer in 1999.  

Mark Craze
Mark Craze started as a graduate account executive at Grandfield Rork Collins in the early 80s.  In 1987 he joined TMD, which was later taken over by Carat, and rose quickly to become MD at Carat UK in 1991.  He became Aegis Media UK CEO in 2002. He graduated from the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard in 1999.
He left Aegis in 2004. In July 2005 he joined MPG UK as managing partner.

Havas Media in the UK
The seven businesses in the HMUK group account for £650 million in actual media billings or in fees expressed as billings.  The UK group employs 488 people as at October 2008.

The move will also allow the group to share best practice and achieve efficiencies in back office areas such as: finance, IT, research and intelligence, human resources and training.

Havas Media globally
Havas Media is the global media network of Havas.  It operates a matrix system through a portfolio of specialist global networks and agencies. These include:  
• MPG (Havas Media’s global media network)
• Arena (Havas Media’s network for tailor-made communication services)
• Havas Digital (Havas Media’s global interactive network, including Media Contacts)
• Havas Sports and Entertainment (recently merged sports and entertainment divisions)

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