Havas Media Manchester poaches Dentsu Aegis’ Lucy Barnes

Havas Media Manchester has boosted its senior leadership team with the hire of Lucy Barnes as strategy partner.

Barnes joins from Dentsu Aegis Network, where she was a board-level strategy director and worked on brands including Arcadia Group, Matalan and Clydesdale Yorkshire Bank. She has 18 years’ industry experience overall, including senior strategy positions at Carat Manchester and Engine Group.

As strategy partner at Havas Media’s regional hub – a newly-created role – she will lead the strategic output of the Manchester agency, reporting into managing director Stuart Lunn.

“Lucy is a fantastic hire for us,” Lunn said. “Her repeated excellence in strategic delivery will be of huge benefit to existing clients, and new ones as we grow.

“I believe this appointment is a further demonstration of how serious we are about driving our business forward with the best talent in the region. I can’t wait for people to meet Lucy.”

Commenting on her new role, Barnes added: “Having worked in both large and small media agencies for the last 18 years, what excites me about this opportunity is that I will be working within a network, with all the advantages that affords, whilst helping to build a challenger agency in Manchester.”