Havas has announced the appointment of David Shulman as the CEO of its global Customer Experience (CX) network. Shulman, the inaugural CEO of the network, will lead a team of over 1,800 individuals across 26 Havas Villages in more than 19 countries.

Since 2020, Havas has been integrating and aligning the CX capabilities of its specialty shops such as BETC Fullsix, Think Design and Gate One. The move comes as the global CX market is experiencing significant growth, with an approximate annual increase of 11%.

Shulman brings a wealth of experience to the role, with previous positions including CEO of Omnicom Group’s Organic, President at Wunderman, and Chief Experience Officer for VML. Based in New York, Shulman will report to Donna Murphy, Global CEO of Havas Creative Network and Havas Health & You.

"In today’s marketing landscape, CX has become intrinsic to business success, said Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and Global CEO, Havas. "We are thrilled to welcome David to the Havas family. His leadership will further unify Havas’ existing brand partnerships and strengthen the network’s ability to better meet the business transformation needs of our clients,"

Donna Murphy said: "We’ve seen great momentum across our global client portfolio since aligning our CX agencies. With David at the helm of this new network, we’ll deliver increased brand value with even more meaningful experiences. David’s extensive digital transformation and strategy experience, both in and outside of the agency world, make him an ideal leader for this critical role."

Shulman's team includes Ol Janus, Global Chief Data Officer; Pat Thistlethwaite, Global Chief Growth Officer; Dennis Urbaniak, Global Chief Experience Officer; Umbar Shakir, MD Experience Consulting; Olivier Vigneaux, MD EMEA; Esteban Calvo, MD LatAm; and Prashant Tekwani, Managing Partner India.

"Customers are holding brands accountable to deliver on the promises they communicate. Havas’ strength in Creative, Health, and Media, matched with a powerful CX network, creates a unique formula to deliver meaningful experiences that help brands differentiate and win. I am thrilled to join such an outstanding team to drive growth for our agencies and the brands we serve," said David Shulman.

Havas is a global communications network with over 23,000 people in over 100 countries. It is part of media, entertainment, and communications group Vivendi.