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HAVAS: HAVAS : Laurent HABIB appointed Managing Director of Havas in France

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Monday, September 7th 2009 at 23:02 GMT by Market Wire}  

SURESNES, FRANCE--(Marketwire - September 8, 2009) -

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Laurent Habib appointed Managing Director of Havas in France

The Havas Group has created a new position of Managing Director France and appointed Laurent Habib to fill it. He will remain CEO of Euro RSCG C&O, a position which he has held since 2006.

Under the supervision of the Havas Executive Committee1, the new management structure in France will develop synergies between the Group's media activities and its communication agencies for the benefit of its clients. The new structure will also:

- strengthen integrated client organisation for key accounts

- create shared structures which will enable the optimisation of the performance of the Group's offers and create new sources of growth

- introduce transversal projects which will allow the Havas Group to innovate in the areas of HR, sustainable development and research.

Laurent Habib will lead a Strategic Committee made up of managers of the Group's main entities in France.

The Havas Executive Committe1, commented : " This appointment represents a new stage in the Havas integration strategy. We decided to start with France where we are market leaders. Laurent's career path, his personal qualities as well as his talent for winning new business and successfully driving teams made him our natural choice for this new position. "

Holder of a DEA in political studies, a DEA in public law and former student of the IEP Paris, Laurent Habib (47) has been Chief Executive Officer of the agency Euro RSCG C&O since April 2006. After having started his career teaching law at the Université de Paris I aged 23, he joined the world of communications in 1990 as a consultant with RSCG Public. In 1998, alongside Stéphane Fouks, he participated in the creation of Euro RSCG Corporate of which he became Managing Director. In 2001, Laurent habib worked on the bringing together of Euro RSCG Corporate and Euro RSCG Omnium, a network subsidiary specialised in financial communication, to create Euro RSCG C&O, the first corporate and financial communications agency in France. Laurent Habib is a corporate man and a manager. A recognised expert in corporate communications (EDF, AREVA, France Telecom/Orange, Banque Populaire, La Poste...),he leads an agency of 400 people as well as honouring his associative duties within the AACC (French association of communication agencies) of which he is Vice President and President of the Valeur Commission. Laurent Habib teaches communication strategy at the Université de Paris I. He has a passion for politics and advises several well-known public figures.

1 The Havas Executive Committtee members are : Fernando Rodés Vilà, David Jones, Mercedes Erra, Stéphane Fouks, Rémi Babinet, Jacques Séguéla et Hervé Philippe.

About Havas in France

Havas is a global advertising and communications services group which also develops its activities under the brands Havas Worldwide (BETC Euro RSCG, Betc 4D Digital House, Betc 4D Shopper House, Betc Design, Euro RSCG C&O, Compagnie 360 Euro RSCG, Euro RSCG Life, Euro RSCG Worldwide Events, Leg, H, W & Cie) and Havas Media (MPG, Havas Digital, Arena, Havas Sports & Entertainement, Euromedia), representing a total of 15 agencies and 2 800 employees. Amongst these, are national leaders in advertising, marketing services, corporate communications and media buying.

Headquartered in Paris, Havas (Euronext Paris SA : HAV.PA) is a multicultural and decentralized Group, present in more than 75 countries through its networks of agencies and contractual affiliations.

The Group offers a broad range of communications services, including traditional advertising, direct marketing, media planning and buying, corporate communications, sales promotion, design, human resources, sports marketing, multimedia interactive communications and public relations.

About Havas

Havas (Euronext Paris: HAV.PA) is a global advertising and communications services group. Headquartered in Paris, Havas operates through its two Business Units (the term " Business Unit " will from now on replace the term " Division "), Havas Worldwide and Havas Media, in order to optimize synergies and further reinforce Havas's position as the most integrated of all of the major holding companies. Havas Worldwide incorporates the Euro RSCG Worldwide network as well as agencies with strong local identities: Arnold in the USA, the UK and Italy, H and W&Cie in France, Palm+Havas in Canada... Havas Media incorporates the MPG, Arena, Havas Sports & Entertainment and Havas Digital networks. A multicultural and decentralized Group, Havas is present in more than 75 countries through its networks of agencies and contractual affiliations. The Group offers a broad range of communications services, including traditional advertising, direct marketing, media planning and buying, corporate communications, sales promotion, design, human resources, sports marketing, multimedia interactive communications and public relations. Havas employs approximately 14,700 people.

Further information about Havas is available on the company's website: [ www.havas.com ]

Press Contacts :

Havas - Lorella Gessa - Tel : +33 1 58 47 90 36

Euro RSCG C&O- Yael Dorfner - Tel - +33 1 58 47 95 26 / +33 6 16 94 16 81

2 allée de Longchamp 92281 Suresnes Cedex, France

Tel +33 (0) 1 58 47 90 00 Fax +33 (0) 1 58 47 99 99 [ www.havas.fr ]

SA au capital de 171 947 729,20 EUR - 335 480 265 RCS Nanterre - APE 7311Z

This information is provided by HUGIN