Havas South Africa has appointed John Davenport as its new Chief Creative Officer. Davenport’s role will see him lead the creative programme of the Havas Academy, the agency group’s training and development arm.
Davenport said, ‘I’m terrifically excited to be joining Havas because I think that the agency group has a unique offering for clients. Unlike most agencies, Havas’ being part of a wider non-advertising group, Vivendi, allows for wider collaboration from which deep connections between people and brands can be sustained.’
Davenport is a copywriter by trade and has been entrenched in South Africa’s creative economy since 1996. He has worked with Ogilvy, Hunt Lascaris and co-founded Ireland/ Davenport which went on to win numerous industry awards locally and globally. He was the co-founder and ECD of Ireland/Davenport, recently reinvented as Collective ID. He has judged at most award shows, including Cannes, and has won a number of awards locally, and on the global stage has snatched more than 20 Cannes Lions.
‘When a friend called me late last year and told me that John Davenport was interested in joining Havas, I was thrilled. We are an agency that is doing some really smart stuff in terms of content and deep connections with consumers, and we needed someone to join us in getting some work over the line. Enter Davenport. Not only is he highly awarded but he also understands that an agency is a business and he knows how to navigate the business of creativity. It’s a great match for us,’ commented Lynn Madeley, Havas South Africa CEO.
