Jon Kershaw is leaving Havas Media to become managing director of PHD Manchester.
Kershaw, who was head of strategy at Havas, replaces Dani Briers, who left to join Carat Manchester last September.
Briers became group business director at the Dentsu Aegis Network-owned agency, with responsibility for developing partner relationships and driving performance across key clients.
Kershaw was himself a director at Carat for five years before joining Havas.
Havas Media has ambitious plans to have more than 30 staff in Manchester within the next couple of years.
