Havas Media has announced the appointment of Ben Grace in the newly created role of chief technology officer. As CTO, Grace will oversee product management and digital marketing strategy for Havas Media.
Grace brings 15 years experience in media and digital to his new role at Havas Media, where he will provide research and development direction as well as evaluating market trends, competitor strategies and future opportunities. Grace will be responsible for managing Havas Media’s market-leading suite of products.
James Zipeure, chief commercial officer for Havas Media Group Australia, said, “I am very excited to have Ben join the team as Havas Media continues to move from strength to strength. Ben brings deep experience in leading and growing technology and digital businesses, and we’re very lucky to be able to harness his insights for our clients.”
On his new role Grace said, “Havas Media has a fantastic footing within the industry and a proven track record of delivering results. I’m keen to get stuck in immediately and continue to grow the business in Australia over the next few years.”
Grace’s experience spans a number of senior roles in companies including Accuen, OMD and DGM. He most recently worked as general manager of Video at Accuen in the US, where he was tasked to build and run a new organisation to help accommodate the shift of television dollars online. There, he worked on the first programmatic upfront deal securing the largest ever digital dollar allocation to a single entity in upfront history.
The announcement comes as Havas Media continues to grow in Australia, continuing to expand its business portfolio in just two short years since launching into the local market at the end of 2013. Havas Media is now in its third year of operation in Australia, and has rapidly expanded to a team of 55 working across a number of leading brands including QBE Insurance, Emirates, LG Electronics and Jacobs Douwe Egberts media accounts.
