Havas Media ANZ has appointed Kate O’Ryan-Roeder as Chief Executive Officer, following an extensive search to identify a leader who can drive growth, innovation, and integrated media solutions across Australia and New Zealand. O’Ryan-Roeder will join the agency in January 2026.
O’Ryan-Roeder brings a decade of experience from Mindshare ANZ, where she served as Chief Client Officer and most recently as Managing Director, Sydney. During her tenure, she led a team of nearly 150 and oversaw a bespoke agency for LVMH, demonstrating expertise in strategic client management and campaign delivery.
Her career also includes eight years at Mindshare Worldwide in London, where she managed global accounts for HSBC and Volvo, and led global planning for Unilever. She previously held key roles at Gyro International and Mitchell Media.
As CEO, O’Ryan-Roeder will lead Havas Media ANZ’s national operations, focusing on growth, regional investment in media, and the strengthening of AI, technology, and data capabilities. She will also enhance integration across the Havas Village network, which combines creative, media, PR and publicity, public affairs, and health divisions to provide fully integrated client solutions.
James Wright, Group CEO Havas ANZ, Global CEO Havas Red, and Global Chair of the Havas PR Network, said:
“We were very humbled by the huge interest we had in the Havas Media CEO role and got to meet some incredibly talented candidates. Kate stood out from the get-go with a wonderful blend of smarts, savviness and strong client and people skills. We are about to embark on a very exciting period of investment and transformation at Havas ANZ that will further showcase our difference in the market and Kate leading the Havas Media Network is going to be a huge driver of this.”
O’Ryan-Roeder commented:
“What truly inspired and resonated with me was the sense of shared values and purpose and I’m excited by the unique Village approach – it’s a powerful way to deliver exceptional results for clients and cultivate a truly collaborative and supportive environment for our people.”
Peter Mears, Global CEO of Havas Media, added:
“Australia and New Zealand are important markets for us, and we have big plans to further scale and strengthen our offerings in the coming months and years. With Kate’s strong track record of managing teams that grow and succeed we are looking forward to her working with James and the leadership to take us to new levels.”
O’Ryan-Roeder’s appointment follows a strong period of growth for Havas ANZ, including new business wins such as Tangerine and More, Perfetti Van Melle, and Emirates globally. Last year, Havas acquired Melbourne-based Hotglue, now part of Havas Media Melbourne.
Havas ANZ’s portfolio of agencies includes Havas Host, Havas Media, Havas Red, Havas New Zealand, Havas Blvd, Havas PLAY, CSA, H/Advisors APA, One Green Bean, Organic Publicity, Frontier, Bastion Brands (part of Havas Health & You), and Pulse, enabling fully integrated solutions for clients across sectors.
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