Olney will drive the company’s global effectiveness strategy, helping clients better measure, understand, and improve their marketing investments.

LONDON, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, September 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Havas Media Network announced the appointment of James Olney as Global Head of Effectiveness. In this role, Olney will lead the development of the network's global effectiveness proposition, helping clients better measure, understand and improve the impact of their marketing investments.

Working across strategy, planning, data and analytics teams, and in close partnership with CSA, Havas’ advanced analytics team and Converged.ai, Havas’ global AI technology platform, Olney will establish frameworks and capabilities that connect marketing activity to business outcomes. His remit includes advancing measurement, experimentation, marketing mix modelling and AI-enabled analytics solutions across the network.

In this new role, Olney will report to Joanna Lawrence, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Media Network

"James has a rare ability to make the complex simple,” Lawrence shared. “Throughout his career, he has helped brands move beyond reporting to understand what is truly driving performance and where to invest next. As we continue to evolve our Growth Powered by Desire proposition, his blend of strategic thinking, analytical expertise and commercial focus will be invaluable in helping our clients make smarter decisions and unlock new opportunities for growth."

Olney returns to Havas, where he previously served as Data Strategy Director for O2/Telefónica, bringing more than 15 years of experience leading effectiveness, analytics and measurement programs across the industry. Most recently, he led advanced analytics and effectiveness for the UK and EMEA hub during the IPG-Omnicom transition, following a successful stint as Head of Data & Analytics at Mediahub EMEA, where he grew the agency's analytics practice into a significant commercial driver. His experience spans global brands including New Balance, Value Retail, Kraken, Polestar and Legal & General, while his recent work has focused on applying AI and machine learning to better connect marketing activity with business performance.

Reflecting on his return to Havas Media Network, Olney shared: “Too often, effectiveness is treated as a synonym for measurement, a rear-view mirror. I see it as a growth engine. The real value comes when measurement helps teams make better decisions before any money is spent – that's why having an effectiveness position in the strategy team could be game-changing. I'm excited for the opportunity to blend strategy, technology, and advanced analytics to deliver effectiveness that scales globally as a powerful lever for disproportionate growth."

In collaboration with CSA, Olney will focus on strengthening the network's effectiveness capabilities globally, embedding evidence-based planning, measurement and learning into the client experience and ensuring marketing effectiveness plays a central role in delivering sustainable growth.



ABOUT HAVAS MEDIA NETWORK

Havas Media Network’s mission is to Create Desire, Convert Demand & Drive Transformation - delivering growth for today and tomorrow. Through our AI & technology ecosystem, Converged.AI, we combine human ingenuity with machine precision to drive clients' business growth, helping brands stay relevant and grow in a world that never stands still. We are part of Havas, one of the world's largest communications groups with nearly 23,000 people working across media, creative, production and technology. Havas Media Network creates personalized and seamlessly connected customer journeys through future-forward capabilities in activation (Havas Play), commerce & performance (Havas Market) and data & tech (CSA). Our agencies are home to more than 10,000 media specialists across +140 countries, with 73 Villages that bring together talented people across all disciplines to work side-by-side to serve our clients. Clients include Auchan, BBC, Canal+, Carglass, Credit Agricole, Decathlon, Dolce & Gabbana, EDF, Emirates, Fidelity Investments, Claro, Hyundai, JDE Peet’s, Kia, Leroy Merlin, Lidl, LVMH, PNC Bank, Puma, Reckitt, Red Bull, Sanofi, Shell, Telefónica and YUM Brands, among many others. For more information, visit the website or follow Havas Media Network on LinkedIn @Havas Media Network or Instagram @havas_media_network.

Katy Hoffmann
Havas Media Network
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