As part of its commitment to building a more diverse business and stronger culture, Havas Group has set its inaugural North America Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Advisory Committee. Alongside global chief talent officer Patti Clarke, the nine-member committee comprised of senior leaders from the Media, Creative, and Health networks representing the Black, Asian, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities, will oversee NA DE&I strategy and initiatives that will drive impact and change in a cohesive approach across the region, as well as, ensure that the seven commitments in Havas’ NA Commit to Change plan are met.
The inaugural committee members are:
- Julianna Akuamoah, chief talent officer, Arnold & Havas Media Boston
- Elena Grasmann, managing director, Havas New York
- Lina Kim, VP planning and innovation, Havas Canada
- Cris Morton, group president, Havas Health & You (Havas Health +, Hematology/Oncology Village, Havas San Francisco, Havas Health Toronto, Havas Mango)
- Sargi Mann, EVP and head of digital strategy & investments, Havas Media New York
- Jorge Plasencia, CEO, Republica Havas
- Liz Roche, managing director/head of strategy, Havas Helia Chicago
- Scott Tucker, EVP, director of client services, H4B Chelsea (New York)
- Blake Winfree, group creative director, Havas Chicago
“As a leader in the industry, Havas is in a unique position to impact the industry and influence society while also creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment for our employees,” said Clarke. “We felt it was incredibly important to have this group of senior leaders come together to share their unique perspectives and insights while also ensuring that our ambitious North American DEI strategies, programs, and actions become a reality.”
An immediate area of focus will be stewarding Havas’s seven-point NA Commit to Change plan. The thorough plan shared publicly last month details how U.S. agencies will build a more diverse, inclusive, and just Havas—to provide a more meaningful work experience for all employees, with a large focus on BIPOC employees. It encompasses initiatives, actions, and programs that will be enacted across Havas US, with some having potential to scale globally.
With their collective experience, the committee members will continue to influence leadership across all three networks, ensuring that DE&I is integrated throughout the business, in addition to guiding the NA track of Havas’ global DE&I program, Havas All In.
Launched in 2018, All In focuses on a wide range of DE&I initiatives including ethnic and cultural representation, gender equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability, wellness, age, and other topics. All In is an innovative approach to DE&I in that it’s not the typical top-down approach, but rather is focused on engaging all levels of the organization. Havas takes a “local” approach to setting DE&I strategy as areas of focus vary greatly by country, culture, and agency. In the last year, All In launched 100 actions in 39 agencies and villages. This year, there are over 150 actions across 42 agencies and villages.
In addition to the committee, Havas has rolled-out the first phase of its mandatory education courses for U.S. employees.
