Laura Cario Joins Havas Red as Managing Partner of Consumer and Brand

Havas Red has appointed Laura Cario as its new Managing Partner, Consumer and Brand, operating from the agency’s Havas Village in Sydney.

Cario steps into the role following a seven-year tenure at Edelman Australia, where she led the brand, food, beverage, and tourism portfolios.

According to Shane Russell, CEO of Havas Red Australia, Laura’s arrival supports the agency’s continued growth across Australia and the region. “We’re laser-focused on our ‘borderless’ strategy which aims to help clients transcend channels, audiences, formats, and countries to seamlessly share their full stories. Laura fits perfectly into our system, bringing her knowledge of global consultancy and an impressive track record of implementing integrated PR, social, and marketing strategies,” said Russell.

In her new role, Cario will lead a team of close to 20 PR and influencer professionals, managing an impressive portfolio of national and global clients spanning sectors such as lifestyle, hospitality, tourism, FMCG, fashion, retail, and consumer tech. She will also join the agency’s leadership group and work closely with Red’s other practice leads across social, corporate, technology, health, and experiential in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

“It is a very exciting time to be joining Havas Red, given their momentum in the market and ambitious plans,” said Cario. “I am so delighted that the next chapter of my career is at Havas Red working with Shane and leading the successful Consumer and Brand team; delivering impactful and effective integrated work with earned storytelling at the centre. I admire Havas Red’s unique agency model and creative culture, with its inspiring and clever team spanning PR, social, and experiential.”

With 16 years of industry experience, Cario has led campaigns for clients such as Dubai Economy and Tourism, Snapchat, Scoot Airlines, Frucor Suntory, Fonterra, Crown Resorts, and Bioderma.

Her appointment follows a strategic refresh of the agency’s Consumer and Brand leadership team, with a number of internal promotions aimed at strengthening its integrated communications offering:

• Ourhai Tower has been elevated to Executive Director

• Georgina Thompson is now Client Services Director

• Tom Manning has taken on the role of National Creative Director

• Lauren Donohoe and Mauricio Ruiz have both stepped up as Senior Account Directors

“Our formula for growth is quite simple,” said Russell. “We’ll continue to nurture, elevate, and hire incredible talent, giving them the tools and resources to deliver the most impactful work for our clients.”

So far this year, Havas Red has secured a string of high-profile client wins, including the global PR account for Tourism Tasmania (hubbed in Australia), the national consumer and lifestyle brief for Accolade Wines, and lifestyle PR duties for Lexus via sister agency Havas Blvd. The agency also launched its expanded influencer marketing offering, SWAY by Havas Red, from Australia — now active in 14 markets around the world.