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HHCL & Partners has promoted its client services director and the

former ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 Face to Watch, Nick Howarth, to the post of managing

director in a bid to boost its senior management at a time when the

agency's position looks increasingly frail within the UK market.

Howarth joined HHCL in 1995, and since then has helped the agency win

accounts such as Go, Mars countline Topic and the Unilever fish brand

Captain Bird's Eye. He joined from Ogilvy & Mather, where he ran the

American Express account, progressing to the head of account management

and then to client services director in 1999.

The agency has been without a managing director since Ian Priest left in

October for a year's sabattical in Australia.

Following the appointment in the summer of the new chairman, Simon

Burridge, the chief executive, Robin Azis, also ceased working on the

everyday running of the agency, focusing on HHCL's international

expansion instead. HHCL has recently lost several key pieces of

business, including Egg and the AA, and is keen to reassert itself

within the industry.

Burridge said: "This is an important promotion for us and reflects the

need to re-establish client service at the heart of our offering. Nick's

ability to give clients effective and appropriate solutions and to carry

the agency with him is already proven."

Howarth added: "Having worked at HHCL for six years, I know that at our

best we're the finest agency in London. This place is full of great

people, and we're crystal clear about the job we need to do. I can't

wait to get stuck in."

HHCL has also poached J. Walter Thompson's commercial director and group

finance director, Alison Sanderson, to be its new financial

director.

Sanderson worked in FMCG companies for ten years before joining JWT,

where she worked alongside Burridge.

"I've gained a huge amount of experience during my time at JWT and I'm

looking forward to applying it in the creative environment at HHCL," she

said.