Thanks to new client gains, Havas on Thursday reported second quarter growth up 5.4%, excluding growth related to currencies, acquisitions and divestitures. That brought growth for the first half of
the year to 4.4%. Notable new account wins in the period included drugs giant Sanofi-Aventis and household goods manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser. Sales rose to $1 billion in the six months ending June
30, with net new business up 38%. High growth areas included healthcare communication and media consulting.
