Havas Group India appoints Neeraj Bassi as Chief Strategy Officer

Neeraj will lead strategy and drive the next phase of growth across Havas Creative and Media and report to Rana Barua, group CEO, Havas Group India.

Havas Group India has further strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Neeraj Bassi as the chief strategy officer, effective immediately. This is in sync with Havas Group’s aggressive growth strategy and its mission to create meaningful work for its clients.

In his new role, Neeraj will lead strategy and drive the next phase of growth across Havas Creative and Media and report to Rana Barua, group CEO, Havas Group India.

Bassi moves from Publicis India, where he was chief strategy officer & managing partner and leverages over two decades of varied experience, across categories. He has worked with some of the most reputed agencies like Ogilvy, Wunderman Thompson, McCann and renowned market research networks such as TNS, IMRB, NFO in India and overseas.

While Bassi is credited for many iconic brand campaigns, he has also provided strategic guidance and brand solutions for a host of brands including, Unilever, Audi, Cadbury Dairy, BMW, Honda, Milk, Asian Paints, Unilever, Nestle, Philips, HSBC, Adidas, Voltas, Sprite, Max Life, and Dabur among others. He is also the recipient of multiple awards across reputed award forums in India and globally, that recognises effectiveness like Effies (India & APAC), AME, WARC, etc.

Bassi is a passionate teacher at his alma- mater; Mica and also closely involved with the placement process for MICA.

Commenting on the appointment Rana Barua, group CEO, Havas Group India, said “Neeraj has been in the industry for over two decades and comes with rich experience and insights in handling strategic planning across brands and categories. He has a proven track record of building brands successfully and positioning them ahead of their competitors. His strategic inputs and a deep understanding of the consumer mindset will further help us to make a meaningful difference to brands and consumers.”

Commenting on the appointment, Bobby Pawar, group chairman & chief creative officer, Havas Group India said “Neeraj is a seasoned professional known for his deep strategic understanding of the brands. I am confident that his skill set, and experience will take Havas to new heights and will help us to build a stronger foundation for the agency’s future. I am delighted to welcome Neeraj to the group and look forward to working with him and adding value to our client’s portfolio”

“Our industry is in transition today, where consumer’s preferences and behaviours are evolving on a continuous basis and they are spending time engaging with a host of media platforms. In this dynamic context, the Havas Village way of working, is exactly what clients need. I am looking forward to working with the dynamic leadership at Havas and leveraging the true potential of the “Together” strategy, to drive growth of brands that we work on and to add value to our client’s business” added Neeraj on his new role.