Havas Group promotes Asiya Bakht as director, marketing and communications, Havas APAC

The development is part of the agency's effort to adopt a 'Havas Village Model'.

The Havas Group has announced the elevation of Asiya Bakht as director, marketing and communications, Havas Asia-Pacific region. Bakht will be based in Singapore and will report to Levent Guenes, chief executive officer, Havas Creative Group, Southeast Asia.

Bakht has been associated with Havas since 2010. Before her promotion, she was director, marketing and communications, Havas Media, Asia-Pacific, which is the media arm of Havas.

In her new role, Bakht will look after the marketing and communications function for all creative, media and specialist brands of Havas Asia-Pacific, which includes the Group's flagship brands -- Havas Worldwide and Havas Media. India, in particular, will come under her purview of responsibilities for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

The development is part of the agency's effort to adopt a 'Havas Village Model'. Havas Village is a client-centric organisation that brings all disciplines and teams in the agency including creative, media and digital under one roof, and is the foundation of the Group's collaborative culture. The Havas Village Model is aimed at simplifying the agency's offerings to its clients through alignment of resources, production, analytics and insights across divisions, thereby leading to better efficiency.

The move also follows the agency's strategy to consolidate its marketing communications function in other key markets in Asia-Pacific such as Australia, China, India, and the Philippines.

"We are delighted to welcome Bakht. Her impressive performance at Havas Media and understanding of the Group's culture played an important role in her selection as a communications lead," says Juan Rocamora, chairman, Havas Creative Group, Asia-Pacific.

Commenting on Bakht's new appointment, Vishnu Mohan, chief executive officer, Havas Media Group, Asia-Pacific, says, "When we were looking for someone to lead marketing for Havas as a Group, we couldn't think of a better person than Bakht. She is not only committed to Havas' vision of meaningful communications and collaboration, but also shares excellent relationships with stake holders within the Group."

Guenes shares Mohan's views regarding Bakht. He says, "Bakht's promotion is a testament to our collaborative 'together' culture, which allows us to leverage skills and talent available across the network. We are excited to have her on board and look forward to work with her to further raise Havas' profile in the region."

Prior to joining Havas, Bakht worked as a journalist for 12 years, starting her career as a broadcast journalist with ANI-Reuters India. She has worked with trade publications including Television Asia and Campaign Asia.