Host/Havas chief creative officer Darren Spiller will exit the agency after just 18 months in the role.
Spiller joined Host in 2017 from DDB where he spent five years. He then assumed the same role at at Host/Havas when the two agencies merged.
Spiller’s role will not be replaced with his duties being shared amongst the agency ECD's Seamus Higgins, Ant Melder and Jon Austin.
His departure comes as Host/Havas prepares to celebrate its first birthday.
"It’s been an excellent 12 months. It was always my intention to help deliver the successful integration of Host and Havas Sydney before stepping aside to allow others to take it forward," Spiller said.
"The agency is in the shape of its life, so now feels like the right time for that to happen. The ECDs are incredibly talented and more than capable of taking the reins, and I wish them all the very best”
Host/Havas has received of a long list of creative accolades this year, most notably for the Palau Pledge campaign. It was AWARD Agency of the Year in May and also the recipient of a Black Pencil at D&AD and three Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, including the Titanium Grand Prix.
Host/Havas CEO Laura Aldington says Spiller leaves the agency in "safe hands".
"I have been lucky enough to call Daz both a great friend and a great colleague over the years. It has been a genuine pleasure to partner with him again in the creation of Host/Havas and I am grateful for everything he has done to set us up for success," she says.
Spiller said he will take some time off to spend with his family and announce his future plans in due course.
Host/Havas has undergone a period of transformation with the merger of Host/Havas that led to the departure of Havas CEO Anthony Gregorio.
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