In a pivotal leadership transition for Havas Group across Australia and New Zealand, Virginia Hyland has officially stepped down as CEO of Havas Media Network ANZ. This marks the conclusion of a dynamic and transformative chapter that began in 2020 with Havas’ acquisition of Hyland Media, the independent agency she founded.
Hyland departs following the successful completion of the buy-out period, having played a central role in reshaping Havas Media into one of ANZ’s most ambitious and high-performing media networks. Her exit sets the stage for a new leadership phase, with James Wright—CEO of Havas Creative Network ANZ—stepping in as CEO of Havas Group ANZ, effective immediately. Wright will also continue in his global roles as Global CEO of Havas Red and Global Chair of the Havas PR Network.
A highly respected figure in the media industry and Deputy Chair of the Media Federation of Australia, Hyland has led a period of exceptional growth. Under her guidance, Havas Media secured major clients including Red Bull, Perfetti, Uniting, Tourism Fiji, and Retail Food Group. She was instrumental in driving integration through the Havas Village model and strengthening the agency’s converged service offering.
Hyland also spearheaded new business capabilities with the launch of Havas PLAY and CSA (Data, Tech & Analytics), and led the network’s expansion into Melbourne with the 2024 acquisition of creative tech agency Hotglue.
Reflecting on her time at Havas, Hyland said:
“I want to thank Havas for welcoming Hyland Media and our clients into the fold. It’s been a privilege to work alongside so many creative, driven, and talented people across the local and global network. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together. To my teammates—thank you for believing in our shared vision as a challenger agency to Dare to be Different. To our valued clients—I wish you continued success as you navigate the exciting future of data, tech, and AI. It has been my personal pleasure to be part of your journey, some for as long as 25 years.”
James Wright returns to his leadership role in ANZ after re-entering the Australian market in 2023. Since then, he has led significant growth across Havas Creative, health communications, public affairs, and PR. His appointment as CEO of Havas Group ANZ is a signal of the Group’s continued focus on deepening its integrated model and fostering greater cross-network collaboration.
Wright commented:
“I want to thank Virginia for an amazing few years of success in the Media Group and wish her every success in the future. Going forward we are strongly committed to driving our pioneering integration as a Group with many bold ambitions to maximise our talents, technology and data smarts that supercharge our teams and clients’ brands. To support this we have a number of significant investments and moves planned to help us play and win differently as the challenger HoldCo in market.”
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