Natasha Murray

I led Havas Media in the UK (London and Manchester) with accountability for the UK P&L, setting the vision of the agency, the retention and growth of the client base, voice in market, prospecting & pitching for new business, the quality of the strategic thinking & insight & effectiveness output and the talent proposition alongside talent retention and acquisition.

My challenge was to balance the focus on the ‘now’, whilst striving for tomorrow’s growth - as a business and for our… Show more

I led Havas Media in the UK (London and Manchester) with accountability for the UK P&L, setting the vision of the agency, the retention and growth of the client base, voice in market, prospecting & pitching for new business, the quality of the strategic thinking & insight & effectiveness output and the talent proposition alongside talent retention and acquisition.

My challenge was to balance the focus on the ‘now’, whilst striving for tomorrow’s growth - as a business and for our clients. Running the UK agency involved working in collaboration with global peers across the Havas Group on client alignment, global prospecting and pitching.

As MD, I successfully steered Havas Media through a large structural, operational and commercial re-structure whilst holding the hearts and minds of the agency. In this period, we also celebrated many new business successes including winning the much-desired BBC business, Pernod Ricard UK, Birds Eye and Nando's.

Obsessed with authenticity and ‘practice what you preach’, I launched Havas Media’s talent proposition ‘meaningfulplacetowork’ to reflect the positioning as ‘The Home of Meaningful Brands’. We worked on how we should live purpose - together, and as individuals - to behave as a ‘Meaningful Brand’ aligned to clients and the agency position in market.

Key activities: vision & strategy, brand strategy and storytelling, client retention and growth, new business pitching & pitching, P&L, reorganisation and change, operations, stakeholder management, resource allocation, marketing, industry voice and profile, talent mapping and development, recruitment Show less

I took responsibility for all of the Havas Media client base in January 2011. This was a new role to bring together all client relationships, across all media disciplines, under one owner. The primary focus was on building and deepening client relationships, acting as a trusted partner and setting a transformation agenda.

In getting closer to, and understanding their business, we could also learn how we could better engage and understand where we could improve our services and products… Show more

I took responsibility for all of the Havas Media client base in January 2011. This was a new role to bring together all client relationships, across all media disciplines, under one owner. The primary focus was on building and deepening client relationships, acting as a trusted partner and setting a transformation agenda.

In getting closer to, and understanding their business, we could also learn how we could better engage and understand where we could improve our services and products to solve their business problems. Internally, responsibilities included reporting on delivery vs the client transformation plans, aligning processes, reviewing client service satisfactions and PRF’s, client contracts and smarter resource planning.

Key activities: client leadership and transformation, presenting strategic and media solutions, pitching, resource allocation, team leadership and development, commercial contracts and terms
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The merger of MPG and MediaContacts into one management team (which had to date been run separately by two different management teams and P&L’s) resulted in the creation of a new Managing Partners board. In this re-organisation, I co-led all clients and channels across the agency and its people.

I represented the agency within key stakeholder client and media owner meetings and at the board table internally managing both BAU activity as well as ensuring there was always a longer-term… Show more

The merger of MPG and MediaContacts into one management team (which had to date been run separately by two different management teams and P&L’s) resulted in the creation of a new Managing Partners board. In this re-organisation, I co-led all clients and channels across the agency and its people.

I represented the agency within key stakeholder client and media owner meetings and at the board table internally managing both BAU activity as well as ensuring there was always a longer-term vision for clients and how the agency was progressing along that roadmap.

Key activities: client leadership, account management, media planning, media owner relationships, team leadership & development
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As Client Services Director I took charge of Thomson Holidays at a senior level reporting directly into the MD and led the media launch for Thomsonfly which I count as one my big achievements. In this time, we also launched Magners Cider culminating in an IPA Effectiveness Award on what became known as the “Magners Effect”.

As Head of Outdoor, a role I took alongside being CSD, I oversaw the commercial and senior relationship with our outdoor contractor of choice, Posterscope UK, as well… Show more

As Client Services Director I took charge of Thomson Holidays at a senior level reporting directly into the MD and led the media launch for Thomsonfly which I count as one my big achievements. In this time, we also launched Magners Cider culminating in an IPA Effectiveness Award on what became known as the “Magners Effect”.

As Head of Outdoor, a role I took alongside being CSD, I oversaw the commercial and senior relationship with our outdoor contractor of choice, Posterscope UK, as well as holding direct relationships with the key outdoor contractors.

Key activities: client leadership, account management, media planning, media owner relationships, team leadership and development
Show less

I was the day-to-day lead on Thomson holidays and Pernod Ricard UK where I led the deal for Jacob’s Creek sponsorship of Friends. Something I am so proud of, to this day. It was one of the toughest pitches and it was down to pure determination and belief in this sponsorship as the right solution to the brands problem that it was eventually signed off.
I also worked on Orange and with my experience from WWAV Rapp Collins was able to set up Orange Direct.

I was recruited to MPG after they won the consolidated media account for Thomson Holidays and Lunn Poly. What I didn't know then, was that I was to work on and end up leading our Thomson Holidays account for 8 years!