Havas Media Group has made two additions to its global team: Thomas Minc as managing director, global strategy, and Ellen Zaleski as managing director, global insights. Both Minc and Zaleski report to Havas Media Group’s global chief strategy officer, Greg James. The duo will co-lead Havas Media Group’s ongoing initiative to translate data into tangible next steps through updates to processes, media metrics, and tools for the entire Group.
Zaleski joins Havas Media Group from footwear and apparel giant Nike, where she was director of consumer knowledge. In her new role at Havas Media, Zaleski will work to build and further develop the insights-based services for Havas Media Group and its clients.
Minc first joined Havas in 2010, and over seven years worked in various roles, from research analyst up to VP group director leading Havas Sports & Entertainment. In 2016, he left to become managing director of Sopexa USA, a global integrated marketing agency.
Minc will focus on the implementation of a new strategic planning process, support local and global strategy teams, and share thought leadership across the Havas Media network and wider industry.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More