May 7, 2021

Meet a Redster: Who are you, Louis Wood?

by Aalastair Sibley in News

Meet the members of the Red Havas team, starting with Louis Wood, one of the account managers at our London office.

Where are you from and how did find out about Red Havas?

I’m from (yawn) Surrey. After working my way around various Havas teams and departments since 2016 I found my way to Red Havas as they were launching the UK operation, and haven’t looked back since.

What is your role within Red Havas and what does it entail?

I’m an Account Manager, which basically makes us the engine room of any agency (of course). At Red Havas this entails wearing a few hats, but primarily I’m focused on making our clients happy – everything else I do behind the scenes (be that project management, strategy and creativity) is centred around that end.

What does your day-to-day look like?

With Red Havas, it’s a more hands on approach than many agencies, and you can make the job what you want it to be. Fundamentally though I will usually be speaking with clients, managing production of projects, writing briefs, developing strategy and much more.

What are some of the challenges you face in your role?

Being asked to contribute to the company blog? No, I joke of course! I think, really, it’s the things you don’t see coming that are the challenge – when a client will do a complete 180 at the last minute and you’re left there scrambling to pick up the pieces… And letting the creatives know…

What is your favourite part about your job?

Contributing to the company blog.

How do you unwind after work?

A cycle to Telegraph Hill near where I live in Nunhead or a pint at Skehans.

What do you like best about the Red Havas culture?

I couldn’t work somewhere where people take themselves too seriously, I think at Red there’s a good degree of self-awareness and deprecation, and everyone can find a way to have a laugh in times of stress.

What do you think makes Red Havas a strong player in this industry?

Its people, of course. An experienced and ambitious team who are always thinking proactively about how to generate more value for current clients. Also, and taking the risk of sounding like I’m drinking the Kool-Aid, I believe Red Havas’ Merged Media model facilitates a truly holistic way of marketing, creating a meaningful difference for our clients.

What do you think helped you (and your team) get through the past 12 months, in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic?

Not enforcing a camera-on Zoom policy.

Lastly, coming out of lockdown, are you Team “Work from Home,” Team “Work at the Office,” or Team “A Bit of Both”? Why?

A bit of both for sure. I think the future of work is somewhere in the middle. With that said I believe creative businesses work best when you can get people in a room – so the beautiful HKX offices definitely have a role to play in the future.