Havas appoints BBH's Holly Ripper as new London CEO

Havas London has drafted in former BBH chief Holly Ripper to succeed James Fox, who left in January after three years, the past two as CEO following the promotion of Xavier Rees to a group role.

Ripper has been at BBH since 2015, joining as managing partner before being promoted to MD in 2022.

During this time joined she worked on the brand-led turnaround of Tesco, and helped the supermarket giant delivering an estimated £644m of incremental profit at a ROMI of £3.54 and winning an IPA Effectiveness Grand Prix.

She also held head of account management, and head of growth roles, winning accounts including Ray-Ban, Netflix, Ribena, Häagen-Dazs, King Games and F&F Clothing.

Prior to BBH, Ripper had spells at start-up Green Cave People as managing partner, Ogilvy UK as business director, Havas Sydney as group account director and Ogilvy UK and Sydney as account director.

In her new role, she who will work alongside Havas London chief creative officer Vicki Maguire, chief client officer Catherine Peacock, chief strategy officer Matt Springate and chief design officer Lorenzo Fruzza – completes the King’s Cross-based agency’s leadership team.

Ripper will ultimately be responsible for boosting the creativity and effectiveness of its output, improving and future-proofing its commercial performance, nurturing an inclusive and dynamic internal culture, fostering existing client relationships and winning new ones.

She will aim to build on a new business momentum which has seen the agency win high-profile brands including Nomad Foods (pan-Europe), Asahi Super Dry (global) and VisitEngland in the past three months alone.

Ripper will report into Havas UK chair and group chief creative Mark Whelan, and start in May 2025.

Havas Creative and Havas Health Networks global CEO Donna Murphy said: “I am thrilled to welcome Holly as CEO. There’s an energy, confidence and momentum running through Havas London, driven brilliantly by Vicki, Catherine, Matt and Lorenzo, and her appointment completes what is an outstanding line-up. Holly wholeheartedly believes in the pursuit of creative excellence and in creating a healthy, energetic environment – which is exactly what we stand for at Havas.”

Ripper added: “Havas is a melting pot of great talent, diverse expertise, ambitious clients and an infectious entrepreneurial energy. I’m thrilled to be joining this modern creative business and dynamic leadership team in Vicki, Catherine, Matt and Zo.

They are already moving mountains, so my job will be to help fuel that momentum and clear the way for brilliant people to create unordinary ideas that connect with ordinary needs and impact the clients’ business; to echo Vicki’s decree at the start of the year, ‘This is no time for mealy-mouthed platitudes or playing it safe’. Havas London is perfectly positioned to become a little bit dangerous, and that is very enticing.

“It has been a privilege to work at BBH for the past ten years, living up to the highest creative standards alongside the loveliest of people.”