Havas Creative Group Australia Promotes Olly Taylor to Chief Strategy Officer Role

Industry strategy heavyweight Olly Taylor has been appointed Havas Creative Group Australia chief strategy officer, with his remit spanning Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The group role will see Taylor lead strategy for Host/Havas, Red Havas, One Green Bean, Havas Commerce and a new research and insights capability, Havas Labs. He will also take responsibility for the development of IP and processes for world-class strategy across paid, earned and owned media, on and offline.

Taylor moves into the role from his position as CSO at Host/Havas. Taylor has worked at Host and its subsequent merged Host/Havas business for 18 years originally joining Host Sydney in 2003 as its first planning director.

Before joining Host Sydney in 2003, Taylor spent five years working as a planner at Fallon in London, after beginning his career at DMB&B in 1998.

Says Anthony Freedman, chairman, Havas Group ANZ: “It’s rare that you have the chance to work with someone for almost two decades but it’s been a privilege to have done so with Olly. He joined Host as a young, but precociously talented brand planner and immediately made an impact, playing a key role in the agency’s success and long list of effectiveness awards. In the many years since, he’s become a complete integrated strategic thinker, a canny spotter of emerging talent, a much respected agency leader and a very dear friend. I don’t know why we didn’t give Olly this broader role years ago…. it’s long overdue and much deserved.”

Says Taylor: “It’s no secret strategy runs through my veins and after many years as CSO with Host and Host/Havas I’m truly excited by the opportunity to now lead our Creative Group strategy across brand, creative comms, data, CX, CRM, digital, PR, social and more. Alongside the team, I’m looking to forward to developing integrated strategies that deliver great work, meaningful impact for brands and results across the board. With such great brands in the Havas Creative Group the opportunities are plentiful.”