“There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors around AI,” says Havas Chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré

Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas, during a candid rapid-fire round at Storyboard18 Marquee Nights revealed not only his humor and warmth but also his deep-rooted values in leadership, culture, and creativity. From lighthearted choices about French pastries to reflections on business legacies, Bolloré’s responses painted a portrait of a leader grounded in authenticity and long-term vision.

When asked about his thoughts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bolloré said, "Huge admiration for PM Modi. I remember that he (Modi) visited Paris in July and he has great relationship with my France President President Emmanuel Macron. French people love Indian people. So, we love everything about India, starting with the people, news and programs." He further said, "If i meet PM Modi i will ask him how he manages the pressure of being a leader of a 1.5 billion people."

During the rapid fire chat Bolloré’s loyalty to the French baguette was unwavering. Presented with a string of playful choices, he didn’t hesitate: “For me—I mean, my wife is here—it’s an easy one. It’s baguette.” Even when pitted against macarons or pain au chocolat, his answer remained consistent: “Controversy, but I pick steak with baguette.” The baguette, it seems, is more than just food—it's a cultural anchor.

Asked to describe French culture in one word, he reflected, “I’m hesitating between two words. The first one being refinement. French culture is a lot about refinement.” But he expanded beyond that. “What strikes me the most about French brands is how they manage to create desire. French brands are very good at creating desire from the rest of the world—brands or craftsmanship—the desire.”

When it comes to underrated French destinations, Bolloré highlighted his home region: “I would say now, my own city—Brittany, on the west of France. Next time you come to France, it’s very underrated, but we have beautiful culture, beautiful landscapes.”

He didn’t shy away from playful honesty either. When asked about something French people secretly love but won’t admit, he laughed: “That’s an easy one. French people, they love to complain. Always complaining. There is a famous French writer who wrote, ‘French people are living in paradise, but they believe they are living in hell.’ That’s French people.”

Bolloré spoke warmly about India, where Havas has a strong presence. When asked what English tradition he wished the French would adopt, he replied, “A lot. Maybe the namaste—that would be very joyful and enriching.”

On Indian cuisine, he admitted, “I love it, but my stomach doesn’t love it that much, but I love it.”

Reflecting on the strengths of his Indian colleagues and partners, he shared a deeper lesson: “I would say the great lesson from India is patience. You have to be patient. You have to build a relationship, long-term. But then, 70% of our clients today have been with us for more than 10 years. It’s a relationship not for life, but for decades.”

In assigning superhero personas to his peers, Bolloré called Rana (Rana Barua, the Group CEO of Havas India) a “madman,” noting “he likes to think big in shadow and never try to fix everything.” For Mohit (Mohit Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Havas Media), he mused, “I’m not sure he exists, but I’m going to say Captain Indian. He’s like an Indian version of Captain America.”

Asked to name a French business leader he admired, his answer was personal: “If I just had to pick one, it would be my dad. He was an amazing leader… He created one of the largest groups in the world.” What he admired most was his father’s management of human relationships: “He is very loyal to his people, which means that people are very loyal to him. It’s not about having the best individuals… it’s having the best collective.”

To illustrate that point, Bolloré offered an analogy close to his heart. A fan of Paris Saint-Germain, he recounted how the team, once filled with star players like Neymar and Mbappé, had failed to win the Champions League. This year, a team of unknown, younger players won 5-0. “It’s the strength of the collective. It’s even more important than the quality of the individual.”

Looking ahead to Havas’ 200th anniversary in 2035, Bolloré said, “I hope—maybe it’s a bit arrogant—but I hope that this group will still be alive. It will still exist, not as it is, because the world will change, of course. But I hope that me and my successor will have the courage and the vision to adapt.”

He’s one of the longest-serving CEOs in the advertising industry, and he takes that responsibility seriously: “I think I’m even a better CEO today than when I was 12 years ago. What’s important is to leave the group in a better shape than when I took over.” His vision isn’t about scale but culture. “I would love this group to remain as it is today—caring for each other, being maybe smarter than the opposition… Today, I would say that Havas is clearly the most attractive group in the global industry because of its culture.”

Despite the rise of AI, Bolloré is bullish on creativity: “There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors around what AI can be doing, but at the end, we have some AI fatigue from the consumers.” While Havas has made over 70 acquisitions in 30 years—90% of them in tech and data—he emphasized their recent creative investments, particularly in acquiring UK-based Uncommon. “Creativity will become even more important in the future than it is today.”

He cited work from Havas India, like the campaign for Democracy newspaper and the robotic-human hand installation at an airport. “That’s not something a robot can do… you need a brilliant mind and a brilliant idea to create something that has never been done before.”

So what does the advertising industry have that no other sector can claim? Bolloré concluded: “First, you work for a wide range of clients from different sectors… We operate globally, and we are at the center of the digital revolution. You are in the future. So it’s a future-proof type of industry, and I think it’s great to be at the center of what’s going to happen.”