REPUBLICA HAVAS expands with New Appointments

Republica Havas announced the appointments of three executives to lead the agency’s continued expansion into Havas’ North American flagship in New York City. Karla Kruger has been named Managing Director, New York; Chanelle Church has been named Vice President, Social Impact & Partnerships and Keeva Blades, PhD, has been named Director of Strategy, both with Republica Havas Health.

Over the past two years, the Miami-based cross-cultural agency has reached tremendous milestones, including a handful of C-suite appointments and two Cannes Lions in 2023. Those wins were followed this year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity by a Silver Lion in the Media category for “The Name Confusion” with The Fight Against Alzheimer’s Assocation.

“With the momentum we’ve established, we’re expanding Republica’s footprint to best serve the needs of our clients and deliver on our aspirations for continued growth,” said Jorge A. Plasencia, Co-founder and CEO of Republica Havas, and the Global Chief Client Officer of the Havas Creative Network. “Karla, Chanelle, and Keeva are a powerful team and the perfect trifecta to lead for our boots-on-the-ground approach in New York City.”

• Karla Kruger is an established marketing professional with over 20 years of industry experience. Before landing at Republica Havas, she held client leadership roles at major firms, including Publicis Groupe, DDB Worldwide, FCB Chicago, and McCann Worldgroup. She has been based in several cities, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
• Chanelle Church brings a results-driven background driven by a passion for social impact leadership. Her career spans over 15 years of experience forging partnerships with brands, non-profit organizations, government agencies and community stakeholders to advance healthy equity initiatives. She began her career at Uniworld and has held leadership positions at PwC, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and (RED), among others.
• Keeva Blades, PhD, has navigated the pharmaceutical industry as both a market researcher and a brand strategist. Her career journey began with a primary focus on oncology, collaborating with renowned brands such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, and Genentech to launch and sustain powerhouse oncology portfolios. Her 15-plus years of experience includes direct-to-consumer marketing in various therapeutic areas, including ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and pediatric immunizations, and stints at several agencies including FCB Health and Ogilvy Health.