Publicis Groupe ANZ has promoted Jessica Howse to general manager of people and culture in Australia, with the appointment set to take effect in January 2027.
Howse steps up from her role as head of people and culture at Zenith Australia, where she has spent almost two years. She will report to Publicis Groupe chief talent officer ANZ and APAC, Pauly Grant, and work with the Groupe’s Australian agencies and leadership teams on its people strategy and culture.
Grant said the promotion reflected the opportunities created by the Groupe’s continued growth.
“At Publicis, we are in the fortunate position of continued growth, which enables us to create more opportunities for our people and invest in their development,” Grant said. “Jess’s promotion is a great example of the talent we have within Publicis and our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for people to grow their careers with us.”
Grant added that Howse had been part of Zenith Australia’s leadership team during a period of significant growth and change, giving her an understanding of the agency, its people and the wider Groupe.
Howse’s experience spans people engagement and experience, organisational design, performance, talent and transformation. Before joining Publicis Groupe, she held senior roles at Nine, Crown Resorts, Seven and Betfair, and worked as a people strategy consultant at Football Australia.
On her appointment, Howse said she was looking forward to working with leaders across the business as the Groupe continues to grow.
“As the Groupe builds on that momentum, I look forward to partnering with our leaders to shape an environment where performance and wellbeing thrive together, and where our people have the capability, confidence and opportunities to succeed through change and transformation,” she said.
