Havas Play UK Strengthens Leadership Team to Power Culture-First Growth

Left to right: Maria Panayi, head of culture, Nick Wright, CEO, Charlie Hugill, chief client officer and Hannah Liu‑Sherman managing partner

Havas Play UK has strengthened its leadership team with a combination of all-female promotions and new hires to lead its next phase of culture-first growth. Charlie Hugill is promoted to chief client officer, Maria Panayi joins as head of culture, and Hannah Liu‑Sherman joins as managing partner. The new team has been assembled by CEO Nick Wright.

These appointments accelerate Havas Play’s mission to deliver integrated, culture-first work. As brands increasingly seek campaigns spanning multiple cultural touchpoints - from sport and music to entertainment - the new leadership team will drive forward the agency’s connected approach to deliver holistic activations, partnerships, and experiences spanning the cultural ecosystem.

As chief client officer, Charlie Hugill will ensure brands can access Havas Play’s full range of specialist capabilities to deliver on this proposition. Charlie started at Havas in 2014 before taking on roles at Octagon (FRUKT) and Rankin. She returned to Havas Play in 2021 as live experience director, before being promoted to managing partner in 2024 and group managing partner in 2025. Charlie has delivered award-winning campaigns for EE over the last 8 years, across sponsorships, live experiences, and integrated activations, alongside leading Havas Play's relationship with HSBC, and previously JD Sports, PUMA and Aston Martin F1.

Maria Panayi joins as Havas Play’s first head of culture, where she will drive the agency’s growing portfolio of culture-led brands and oversee talent and influencer strategy and activation. Maria joins from TikTok, where she was head of music marketing, EMEA from 2020, during the rapid rise of the platform, and has been recognised in the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour. Previously, she led artist partnerships at Sony Music and held roles at M&C Saatchi and Material, delivering campaigns for brands including Spotify, EE (Glastonbury), Red Bull Culture Clash and Notting Hill Carnival.

As managing partner, Hannah Liu‑Sherman will lead Havas Play’s integrated creative partnership with Jet2, building on the agency’s recent work to evolve the brand for new youth audiences. Hannah will drive this transformation further, uniting strategy, creativity, and partnerships to deliver work that sets the pace for culture-led growth. Her career spans agency roles at Saatchi & Saatchi, AMV BBDO, and Fold7, working with brands including HSBC, BMW, Johnnie Walker, Carlsberg, Walkers and Mars, as well as client-side roles at Quintessentially and Channel 4.

These appointments form part of Havas Play’s on-going investment in culture-first growth for clients, including last year’s acquisition of experiential agency Bearded Kitten.

Nick Wright, CEO of Havas Play UK said, "Brands no longer think in terms of sport ‘or’ culture, it’s about the ‘and’ - they want to play meaningfully across both, and everywhere in between. Charlie, Maria, and Hannah bring the perfect blend of expertise, perspective, and passion to drive this forward, creating remarkable work for our clients that cuts-through and sits within this connected world."

Charlie Hugill, chief client officer, Havas Play commented, "Culture moves fast, and clients need partners who can move with it. This role is about elevating how we guide them, understanding their world, anticipating what’s next, and delivering work that feels culturally intelligent and commercially sharp."

Maria Panayi, head of culture, Havas Play remarked, "Joining Havas Play at this moment feels significant. Operating in culture doesn't move in straight lines, it intersects in ways that are constantly shifting. What excites me is helping clients make sense of that movement and turning it into something meaningful through connecting with the communities shaping this space."

Hannah Liu‑Sherman, managing partner, Havas Play stated, “Jet2 is at a fascinating point in its cultural journey, and Havas Play has already built real momentum in redefining how the brand shows up, connecting it with new youth audiences. I’m excited to build on that foundation, bringing new energy and fresh thinking to help Jet2 connect in ways that feel modern and culturally grounded.”