Havas Media Appoints Molly Blacker as National Head of Strategy

Havas Media has appointed Molly Blacker as national head of strategy in Australia and New Zealand, following the January 2026 departure of chief strategy officer Mitchell Long, who left after 18 months to pursue a personal project.

Dual Strategy Structure Takes Shape at Havas ANZ

The appointment is part of a broader leadership restructure at Havas ANZ Group. Olly Taylor, previously creative strategy lead, has been promoted to chief strategy officer across the entire ANZ Group, covering both creative and media agencies. Blacker will lead strategy specifically within Havas Media, the group's media agency unit.

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Taylor brings more than 25 years of brand and communications strategy experience and over a decade in senior leadership at Havas Australia. His elevation consolidates institutional knowledge at the group level, rather than bringing in an external hire.

Kate O'Ryan-Roeder, who joined as CEO of Havas Media ANZ in January 2026 from Mindshare ANZ, described Blacker as "a rare combination of a people-first leader and a highly respected craft expert." O'Ryan-Roeder added: "I know her leadership will elevate not only the work we deliver for clients, but also the development of our people and the strength of our integrated offering."

Blacker's Background Spans Network and Independent Agencies

Blacker brings 13 years of agency experience to the role. She spent five years at UM Australia, working on accounts including Johnson and Johnson, H&M, Tourism and Events Queensland, and the NSW Government. She then joined independent agency Slingshot, where she spent eight years in total, with the final three as head of strategy and creative. Her client work at Slingshot included Australian Pork, Hamilton the musical, and Goodman Fielder.

Her background across both a large network agency and an independent agency positions her to navigate the competitive pressures Havas faces from both holding-company rivals and fast-growing independents in the ANZ market.

Restructure Extends Beyond Strategy Roles

The strategy appointments are part of a wider period of change at Havas ANZ Group. Alastair Baker has been appointed to a newly created chief AI officer position, tasked with unifying AI strategy across the network. The group has also formally acquired independent media agency Kaimera, adding independent media buying capabilities to its offering.

Havas ANZ operates what it calls a Village model, combining creative, media, PR, public affairs, and health divisions. The Sydney Village houses more than 300 specialists. The Melbourne Village, expanded following the acquisition of Hotglue, now has more than 90 staff.

These changes align with the network's new brand positioning, described as "Deliberately Different." Blacker's mandate includes bringing this philosophy to life through the agency's strategic product.

Long's Departure Preceded the Reshuffle

Mitchell Long, who served as chief strategy officer for 18 months, resigned in January 2026. In a statement, Long said: "For me, 2026 is a year where I want to take on a new risk and challenge to try my own thing and pursue a personal project I'm genuinely excited about." He also noted that during his tenure the agency achieved "new positioning, new clients, new processes, new products."

Long previously spent 12 years at PHD before joining Havas. His departure preceded the decision to split the strategy function into two connected but distinct roles, rather than making a direct replacement.

Havas ANZ's new strategy structure takes effect immediately across the group's ANZ operations.