Ol Janus becomes first global data chief at Havas CX

Havas CX Helia’s data chief, Ol Janus, has been handed the newly created role of global head of data for the group’s customer experience division, to lead and develop data products and services across the entire Havas CX worldwide network.

Janus rejoined Havas in 2017, having spent three years at Ogilvy where he led its data practice in London and worked across clients including Nestle, BT, BP and Public Health England.

He had first joined Havas Helia – then EHS Brann Discovery – in 2003, while Huw Davis was managing director and remained at the agency for over a decade.

He went on to succeed Davis, and was ultimately appointed global data director, working across clients such as Diageo, Unilever, EasyJet and Compare the Market.

Before that, he held a variety of data strategy roles at companies including Acxiom and Virgin Media. Janus was born in the Netherlands and lived in both Brussels and Paris before moving to the UK when he was a teenager.

In this new role and expanded remit, Janus will report into Havas Creative global chief strategy officer, Mark Sinnock. He will be responsible for building the network’s data capabilities and their application through collaboration with Havas’ creative businesses and clients, as well as the “innovative use of new data science” as a competitive differentiator.

Havas CX, launched in October 2020, brings together more than 1,200 people from 20 of Havas Creative’s global agency groups and local agencies, plus additional specialists from across the Havas network.

Fostering integration between these agencies and individuals, it combines insight, user-centric technology and experience-led design in a strategy designed to transform business performance for clients and partners.

Since launch, the network has won a number of significant accounts including skincare brand Aesop, car maker Volkswagen Group UK, and Mars-owned pet food brand Royal Canin.

Mark Sinnock said: “This important new role will be pivotal in ensuring our global data capabilities are fully integrated across our network, as well as being greater than the sum of their parts.

“In CX, we often speak about new technology or cutting-edge tools – but underpinning those is talent. It’s one thing to talk about the potential of data science – and another to actually make it happen. Ol makes the complex simple and the inaccessible easily understood, but most important is his ability to turn cutting-edge data theory into reality.”

Janus added: “I don’t think it’s controversial to say that too many brands still don’t understand data – or at the very least, don’t understand how to fully realise its potential.

“Five years ago, they might have got away with that – but after 18 months which brought customer engagement permanently to the fore, those that don’t will die. Havas understands this, hence the creation of this role – and for me, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be taking it on.”