AUCKLAND, Today: Virginia Hyland has officially wrapped up her time as CEO of Havas Media Network ANZ, following the completion of her agency’s buy-out after joining Havas through the 2020 acquisition of Hyland Media.
James Wright steps in immediately as Havas Group CEO ANZ, adding to his current gig as CEO of Havas Creative Network ANZ. He’ll continue juggling both roles, along with his global PR leadership duties.
Hyland’s been a powerhouse in the industry and helped transform Havas Media AUNZ into a bold, high-performing operation. Her leadership led to major wins with Red Bull, Perfetti, Uniting, Tourism Fiji and Retail Food Group.
She also oversaw the launch of Havas PLAY and CSA, and played a key role in acquiring Hotglue in 2024—strengthening the agency’s Melbourne presence across media and branded content.
Reflecting on her time, 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.
“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.” – Virginia Hyland
“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.”
Wright returns to the local spotlight after a big 2023, helping Havas Creative expand across PR, public affairs, health and creative. Now, he’s set to lead the entire Group forward.
“I want to thank Virginia for an amazing few years of success in the Media Group and wish her every success in the future,” Wright said.
“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.”
Havas thanked Hyland for her leadership, vision and lasting legacy. She’ll be taking a well-earned break for the rest of 2025.
The Group will confirm future media leadership soon, with a new CEO to report to Wright. Havas ANZ includes brands like Host, Havas Media, Havas Red, Havas PLAY, CSA, and more across Australia and New Zealand.
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