Jorge A. Plasencia is the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Republica Havas, and Global Chief Client Officer of the Havas Creative Network. A pioneer in cross-cultural marketing and brand building, Jorge has led award-winning strategies for some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Walmart, Toyota, Sanofi, Google, and Diageo. His leadership has helped brands grow their impact and reach through culturally intelligent, insight-driven marketing that resonates with today’s diverse consumers.
Jorge’s career spans leadership roles across media, sports, and entertainment. He served as Vice President and Network Operating Manager at Univision Radio, as well as Vice President of Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Public Affairs. At Estefan Enterprises, he led marketing, strategy, and communications while managing global artists such as Gloria Estefan and Shakira. Earlier, he made history as the first Director of Hispanic Marketing for the Miami Marlins, where he helped lead the team to its first World Series and earned recognition as Hispanic Marketer of the Year.
Recognized as one of the most influential Hispanics in the U.S. by Poder magazine and one of Florida’s most influential leaders by Florida Trend, Jorge has received numerous honors, including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, CEO of the Year by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and the Ultimate CEO award from South Florida Business Journal.
Jorge’s impact extends far beyond his business achievements. At 17, he co-founded Amigos For Kids, a nonprofit that has uplifted thousands of families. His enduring contributions to child advocacy have earned honors including the March of Dimes Humanitarian of the Year Award and The Children’s Trust Champion for Children Award. He currently serves as Board Chair of the Miami Dade College Foundation and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Florida Council of 100, and Leadership Florida.
A Miami Dade College Hall of Fame inductee, Jorge holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from Barry University and completed the Advanced Management Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Management.
Luis Casamayor has more than 20 years experience in integrated marketing, advertising, and design, and has led Republica Havas to earn numerous national and international creative awards.
Before co-founding our agency in 2006, Luis was the president of Cosmyk, a design and creative agency he first started in 1994 as a graphic design studio. By 2001, the company had evolved into a full-service marketing agency offering additional services such as broadcast advertising, media and interactive. He built Cosmyk into one of the premier Miami-based creative agencies, acclaimed for its breakthrough campaigns.
Over the years, Luis has provided clients with fresh thinking, dedication and a true understanding of business objectives. His deep relationships with creative partners in all relevant areas, including multimedia production, film, printing, and photography as well as event marketing allow the agency’s award-winning campaigns to be executed at the highest level.
Named a Global Agency Innovator by The Internationalist, Luis’ passion for his clients comes to life in Republica Havas’ award-winning work for many brands, including Walmart, Toyota, Google, Baptist Health, Universal Orlando Resort, BankUnited, NBCUniversal and the Gates Foundation, to name a few.
Luis has served as a judge for numerous creative competitions, including the Media Mind Rich Media Awards in New York City. He serves as the advisory board member of the Florida International University (FIU) College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts, and also as a member of Civic Nation’s Creative Alliance, the Art Directors Club, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).
As Chief Operating Officer, Anthony drives enhanced efficiency, collaboration and growth across our organization’s four divisions – Creative, Health & Wellness, Media, and Experiences. Previously our Executive Vice President and General Manager, he has been instrumental in driving our agency’s consistent annual growth since joining Republica Havas in 2016.
Earlier in his career, Anthony held leadership roles at several of Madison Avenue’s top marketing and communications agencies, such as Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal and Partners and Berlin Cameron, and successfully managed a prestigious client portfolio that includes Walmart, Tommy Hilfiger, Citi, Dom Pérignon, Toyota, Coca-Cola, LVMH, Santa Margherita Wines, and Comcast, among others. Most recently, he was Managing Partner of New York City’s Naked Communications where he worked with major brands like ABSOLUT, Virgin Atlantic, eBay, and Mount Gay Rum.
A graduate of Keene State College, Anthony became the youngest member of the North American World Cup Snowboard Team in 1989 — sponsored simultaneously by Oakley, Life’s A Beach brand, and LOOK snowboards.
Catarina brings 15 years of experience in handling brand and creative strategy as well as research and planning for a host of blue-chip brands. Most recently, she was Director of Strategy for Media.Monks, an S4 digital-first agency in Los Angeles where she drove strategy for accounts including California Lottery, Mitsubishi, Northgate G. Market, Havaianas, Ring Central, YouTube, and NYX, among others.
Prior to Media.Monks, Catarina was Director of Strategic Planning for Gallegos United, an independent multicultural ad agency in Los Angeles, where she spearheaded the strategy for clients such as Got Milk?, Comcast, JCPenney, Chick-fil-A, KIA, Carnival Cruises.
Catarina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social and Organizational Psychology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She worked in Lisbon, Madrid, Miami, and Los Angeles and is an avid student of global consumer behavior, emotion, and culture, which she analyzes and translates into insights that guide and inspire compelling communication strategies.
Gustavo has more than 20 years experience in the areas of broadcast, print, events, and experiential production. As Vice President, Production & Operations, he is responsible for all agency operations, including project management, traffic and studio, as well as managing and executing all production initiatives.
Prior to joining our team in 2012 as production director, Gus was Print Production Manager at SapientNitro, where he helped execute successful internal events including the company’s presence at SXSW, IEX and Cannes Lions. In addition to events, he oversaw print production and project management for Sapient globally, working with numerous clients such as Celebrity Cruises, Citi, Burger King, Network Solutions, ConAgra Foods, Kaplan College, and HondaJet.
Vanessa brings over 15 years of multicultural consumer brand marketing experience to her role as Managing Director of Republica Havas Health, Havas Health & You’s NMSDC minority-certified health equity and cross-cultural health & wellness marketing partner in the U.S. Vanessa, a boomerang, rejoined Republica Havas Group in 2019 to lead our growing health and wellness team.
Her passion for health is fueled by creating true impact in underserved communities while supporting brands focus on reducing healthcare disparities within culturally diverse and underserved communities.
Throughout her career, she has been a strategic business partner to numerous Fortune 500 brands in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. She was the global and national business consumer lead for clients such as KFC, General Mills, the Miami Marlins, Nestlé, COPA Airlines, Florida Blue and PepsiCo.
She brings a proven track record of business growth through cross-cultural strategic partnerships with healthcare clients like, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lilly, Amgen, Biogen, Sanofi, Regeneron, AbbVie and Pfizer, to name a few.
Vanessa earned her bachelor’s in Advertising Communications in Universidad IberoAmericana in the Dominican Republic where she was born. She continued to earn her master’s degree in Global brand communications from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Italy, where she lived for five years.
Chanelle is a results-driven and passionate social impact leader who brings more than 15 years of experience and savviness to the table when it comes to cultivating partnerships with brands, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and community stakeholders to advance health equity initiatives.
As a steadfast advocate for health equity, Chanelle has led efforts to engage corporations in meaningful initiatives that address health disparities and promote equitable access to healthcare. She has also worked to tackle critical global health issues throughout her career, including maternal health, breast cancer and AIDS. It was through organizations like Every Mother Counts, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and (RED) that she was able to work closely with corporate partners to develop high-impact CSR programs, making a tangible difference in the communities they served. Her corporate partner portfolio includes brands such as The Estée Lauder Companies, Delta Airlines, Ulta Beauty, and Blizzard Entertainment. There is no doubt that she has a true gift for harnessing the power of partnerships for social good, ensuring that everyone has the right to thrive.
Chanelle earned her B.A. in Political Science from New York’s Stony Brook University, which likely contributes to her strategic approach to partnerships – emphasizing transparency, accountability, and value creation. We know she will shine in this newly created role.
Karla is a seasoned marketing pro with more than 20 years of experience. Before landing at Republica Havas, she gained invaluable knowledge by consulting and collaborating at major advertising agencies, including Publicis Groupe, DDB Worldwide, FCB Chicago, McCann Worldgroup, and others. In her decades of experience, she turned strategic and collaborative marketing initiatives into award-winning work for influential global brands such as The Clorox Company, Wendy’s, Nestlé, The Home Depot, Pfizer, State Farm, Cadbury Adams, American Express, CVS, P&G, the U.S. Army, Mars, and Walmart.
Fluent in English and Spanish, and Portuñol as needed, Karla is from Nicaragua and raised in the U.S. and Colombia (don’t let her German last name fool you!). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design and Business at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master’s in Advertising and Marketing at Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrery (ITESM).
Karla currently resides in New York City with her English husband and their son. When she’s not at the global head offices of Havas Health & You (unleashing growth for brands from multicultural audiences), you’ll find her indulging in her many passions that include art, culture, travel, fashion, and photography.
With ten years of experience, Alexis is charged with integration across RH Group and will help build partnerships and growth opportunities within the Havas Villages and offices in North America and beyond.
With more than six years at Republica Havas, she has been integral in developing and growing key clients, including Azamara, White Claw Hard Seltzer, and AARP, to name a few. Throughout her career, Alexis has worked with top brands such as Walgreens, Dunkin’, and Royal Caribbean Group.
A lifelong Miamian, Alexis earned a bachelor’s degree in Editing, Writing, and Media with a concentration in Mass Media Communications and International Business at Florida State University.
Eirasmin is a powerhouse Latina with over twenty years of experience as a Cross-cultural Brand Strategist building brand equity for Fortune 500/Fortune Global 500 brands. She is a change agent who works closely with corporations and non-profit organizations to address health disparities in multicultural communities, a best-selling author, and guest speaker in national conferences. We
She is Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and Consumer Insights at República Havas Health, where she heads the strategy behind cross-cultural marketing and community programs that empower brands to address health disparities.
Eirasmin has a proven trajectory in brand strategy across multiple categories for industry leading brands, such as: Walmart, Air Wick, White Claw, Volkswagen, SONY, Bank of America, Kraft, DHL, Hewlett-Packard, and MasterCard among many others.
She has dedicated the last fourteen years of her career to impacting the health of underserved patients through corporate and community programs. Some examples of her pharma and healthcare Client roster include Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, Regeneron, Amgen, Merck, Biogen, Eisai, Otsuka, Lundbeck, Memorial Hermann Hospital, Baptist Health, and the American Heart Association.
Eirasmin is also a passionate community activist and industry leader. She is the proud Founder & Director of the Wellness for Growth Foundation, co-author of the Amazon Best Seller “Extraordinary Latinas: Breaking the Narrative and Redefining our Power,” has been a guest speaker at multiple national Communications and Health & Wellness Conferences, taught Brand Management at Florida International University’s Master’s in Marketing program, and was recognized as a 2024 MM+M Women of Distinction.
Lori Sundermier is a hands-on leader with two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and administrative operations. She is a downright wizard at creating efficient financial infrastructure and her energetic personality is almost as legendary as her problem-solving skills.
After graduating from FSU, she began her career in finance at Estefan Enterprises where she excelled through the ranks in the fast-paced world of entertainment and hospitality – all while earning her MBA at Florida Atlantic University. She then took her skills to the electric arena of Event Entertainment where she oversaw finance, budgeting, and risk management for world-renown events such as the Ultra Music Festival.
Most recently, Lori was VP of Finance & Administration for Innovative Group, where she used her mega talent to build their in-house accounting department, overseeing everything from payroll and HR to policies and procedures. Her skills were also used onsite at events including the Riptide Music Festival (2016-2019) and Super Bowl Live 2020 – to name a few.
Laura Socorro-Santoni joined Republica Havas in 2008 after relocating to Miami from her native Puerto Rico. During her 13-year tenure, Laura has successfully led several key agency-client partnerships, including Baptist Health, Keurig, Google and most recently, Ocean Bank.
In addition to spearheading several award-winning campaigns, she is known for her ability to effectively lead and motivate her team. Prior to Republica Havas, Laura held account management and market research roles at agencies in San Juan, including Lopito, Ileana & Howie, and Veintinueve de febrero.
She earned her BA in Public Communications from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, and her MBA from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico.
As Senior Director, Talent Recruitment, Christina brings more than 20 years of knowledge and experience in Human Resources. She instrumentally supports Republica Havas’ success by managing employee relations, engaging in training and development, promoting the strong values of our work culture, and overseeing recruitment of new talent.
A native of South Florida, Christina grew up on Key Biscayne and then went on to South Carolina where she graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Business Administration. After graduation, Christina moved to New York City where she began her career in Human Resources at several agencies, including EURO RSG and D’Arcy Advertising. She later returned home to Miami, where she most recently worked at JMS, and previously with Eileen Haubenstock & Associates, a top advertising and marketing recruitment firm.
Natalie was born in Miami and raised on cafecitos. After graduating from Florida State University, she moved to the concrete jungle of New York where she worked at several agencies, including BBDO, BBH, and Droga5. Her clients have included Visa, Sprint, Uber, Sony, AB-InBev, and Brighthouse Financial, to name a few.
Among her proudest accomplishments is helping plan and execute BBH’s annual Griffin Farley’s Beautiful Minds – a hybrid planning boot camp and networking event. At BBH, she also dipped her toes into new biz – a role with many late nights and many successes that quickly became one of her passions.
After a decade, she finds herself back in sunny Miami as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Republica Havas, helping shape culture and growth.
Yadira Santana-Dowling joined Republica Havas in 2018 as associate director of strategy and later began overseeing the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion program, The Greater Good, in 2020. Well-versed in the areas of branding and strategic communications, Yadira has led strategies for almost 20 years in the advertising industry. She has provided expert analysis and consultation for various national and international brands.
Passionate about building meaningful relationships between brands and people, Yadira has extensive expertise in the U.S. Hispanic and Urban markets. Yadira is the author of “The Four Day Creative Brief.” She is an effective communicator with an affinity for training and developing talent.
Yadira earned a bachelor of science in organizational behavior management from the Miami University of Ohio and a master’s degree in strategic planning from the Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter. In 2016, she began teaching at the Miami Ad School and, in 2021, at the school’s Punta Cana campus in Dominican Republic.
Vicky’s journey with Republica Havas began as a Senior Social Media Strategist in 2021, which led to her becoming Associate Director of Content & Social, and most recently, she was appointed Director of Content & Social.
Working for agencies such as Nobox, Zimmerman, and VML has given her ten valuable years of industry experience and provided the opportunity to work on leading integrated social media campaigns for clients like Netflix, Marriott Hotels, Ocean Spray, Volkswagen, Royal Caribbean, and Spirit Airlines.
Vicky has spearheaded content strategies for many of our clients including Santa Margherita Wines, Sedano’s, National Pork Board, and Walmart. As our Director of Content & Social, she will be responsible for leading the department, while continuing to create impactful work, and growing our award-winning social offering.
Born in Venezuela and raised in Miami, Vicky earned her BA in Journalism with a minor in Political Science at Florida International University.
