• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 8, 2016

Intra-holding-company collaboration is big these days. The firms are emphasizing cooperation across their groups as a way to make sure clients are getting all the resources and service they need. And hopefully said clients won’t feel a need to go elsewhere for their marketing and communications services. 

Most of the holding companies have implemented some branded version of it from WPP’s “Horizontality,” to Interpublic’s “Open Architecture” and Publicis Groupe’s recent “Power of One” reorganization. 

And Havas has been implementing its “Villages” concept in various markets for the past two years. Now the Paris-headquartered group has created a new post—Chief Integration Officer—to accelerate collaboration across the company. 

Christian de la Villehuchet is taking on the new role while retaining his existing duties as CEO Havas Worldwide Benelux and Nordics Group. 

As Chief Integration  Officer de la Villehuchet is tasked with systematizing collaboration and “cross-fertilization” within the Havas Villages and making sure that offerings  and expertise are unified across the company. He’ll also oversee the integration of acquired companies and design integrated offerings to pitch to clients. 

De la Villehuchet has been with Havas Group since 1990 and company CEO Yannick Bollore said that his “in depth knowledge and understanding of the group” made him well-suited for the new role.