New Delhi: Vishnu Mohan will step down as chairman and CEO of Havas Group southeast Asia (SEA), India and north Asia. A veteran of 25 years with the organisation, Mohan will be succeeded by Alberto Canteli, currently CEO of middle-east and eastern Europe Havas Group, who will be additionally responsible for southeast Asia and north Asia, including Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Indochina, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Rana Barua will continue to run Havas India as Group CEO. Both Canteli and Barua will report to Chris Hirst, the global CEO of Havas creative group, and Peter Mears, the global CEO of Havas Media Group.

Mohan will however continue to serve as the chairman of the Vivendi Committee SEA and India, which aims to develop the parent company's companies in the region, reporting to Simon Gillham, member of the Vivendi management board.

Mohan said in a media statement, "Nurturing teams and forging deep connections with the people that I worked with has made the journey meaningful and worthwhile. I wish Alberto, Chris and Peter every success in the future."

Mohan joined Havas on the creative side with Euro RSCG, and played a large role in accelerating the network's growth by leveraging a challenger mindset, service excellence, partnerships and talent. He was the first Havas Media employee in the region in 2007 and was largely responsible for the establishment of the network from New Zealand to India.

“Vishnu’s career in Havas is marked by transformation, partnerships, building and leading future ready teams," Gillham said in a media statement. "He was quick to tap into the power of Vivendi and combine it with the nimbleness of the Havas Village model to create new opportunities that have served Vivendi well.”