Bob Schmetterer, Former Chairman and CEO of the Company That Became Havas Worldwide, Dies

Bob Schmetterer, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Euro RSCG and a founding partner of Messner Vetere Berger Carey Schmetterer (MVBCS), has died at 82.

Tributes are pouring in from the industry to mark the life and career of Schmetterer, a leader widely credited with helping steer agencies and brands into the digital era. 

Over his 35-year career, Schmetterer played a pivotal role in reshaping how creativity was applied not just to communications, but to business strategy and growth.

Starting out in 1971, Schmetterer got his first agency job at Scali, McCabe, Solves (SMS). Perdue Chicken was his first client, and he ran the brand’s most iconic advertising campaigns. His next agency would be HCM Advertising Worldwide, where he quickly rose through the ranks to president and CEO. 

Not long after Schmetterer became a founding partner and president of MVBCS, working with iconic brands like New Balance, Volvo and NASDAQ. He pushed the agency into digital marketing when the internet was still in its infancy, and went on to pioneer early website development and banner advertising. 

MVBCS was later acquired by Euro RSCG and renamed Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schetterer (MVBMS). Under his leadership, MVBMS was one of the fastest growing agencies at the time, boasting clients like Nestlé, Jaguar and Exxon Mobil. In 1998 Schemetterer became chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG, which later became known as Havas Worldwide. 

His founding partner at MVBCS, Ron Berger, described him as a “strategic creative, an incredible listener who had a profound impact on so many people’s lives.” 

In 2003 Schemetterer put his wisdom down in penning the book Leap! A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy. In this book he trademarked an advertising concept called ‘creative business ideas’ which encouraged agencies to think beyond advertising and comms to apply creativity across the businesses. 

Former CEO of Havas Worldwide David Jones called Schmetterer a “total visionary” and said that many owed their careers to him. “A brilliant mind and an incredible human being. He inspired anyone and everything he touched,” Jones said in his tribute.