MEET TRACEY

& SEAMUS.

Tracey Barber

Chief Transformation & Growth Officer,  Havas Creative

Tracey Barber is one of the highest-profile and most successful new business and growth practitioners working in the industry today. She joined Havas Creative Network in 2015, holding first the role of UK CMO and then Group CMO, UK & Europe, before being promoted to Global CMO in 2019. In this role, she was responsible for driving year-on-year growth across the network through her leadership of new business, marketing, and internal and external communications, and was behind the launch of two high-profile global networks, Havas CX and Havas Studios [now Prose on Pixels] In 2023, she was named Global Chief Transformation and Growth Officer – taking additional responsibility for bringing new products and services to market, client experience, and growth across Havas’ 74 Villages. Based out of the UK and reporting into Havas Creative Network Global CEO Donna Murphy, Barber works closely with all regional and key market CEOs, as well as Havas Media Network and Havas Health & You on group-wide growth opportunities. 

Her career spans stints client-side at Lloyds TSB and running her own consultancy – where she worked for numerous intermediaries and agencies advising on client/agency relationships and new business best practice – as well as agencies including Lowe Howard Spink, Publicis, Kittcatt Nohr and DigitasLBi. This wide range of experience has helped Barber, and the team she oversees, win Campaign’s Business Development Team of the Year accolade three times in four years. She was named Campaign’s Female Frontiers ‘Visionary Business Leader’ 2023, mentors women through the Women of the World Foundation, is a frequent speaker for organisations including UN Women and Cannes Lions, and holds a number of non-exec and charity roles. 

Seamus Higgins

 Chief Creative Officer, Havss London

With 25 years’ experience across three continents and multiple disciplines, Seamus has built his career on a love of creative solutions that don’t feel like advertising, and the uncompromising craft of their delivery. 

Recognised on Ad Age’s Creative All-stars list, he’s led multiple award-winning projects, including the world’s most awarded campaign in 2018, the Palau Pledge, which in addition to being awarded D&AD’s Design Black Pencil of the Decade, picked up two D&AD Black Pencils and three Cannes Lions Grand Prix. He has also led one of Australia’s largest accounts, Defence Force Recruiting, to the most successful two years in their history, winning a Grand Effie. 

Seamus has judged at multiple shows, including AWARD Awards, Cannes Lions, New York Festivals, D&AD, One Show APAC, was Jury President for Digital & Mobile at Spikes Asia, and has spoken at numerous local and international events, including New York Advertising Week and Cannes Lions. 

Seamus believes that there has never been a more exciting time to invent new ways to connect brands and humans. As an industry our powers have never been greater. And with that power comes the responsibility to shape a better world.