LONDON — The PHA Group has promoted Shelley Frosdick and Stuart Skinner to group managing directors, as CEO Mark Gregory has retired after 13 years with the agency.

Frosdick and Skinner, who joined the 15-year-old independent agency in 2006 as account executives, will share responsibility for the day-to-day running of the 80-strong business. They will report into the board of chairman Phil Hall, finance and legal director Marina Hall and partner Simon Dolan.

Hall, the former editor of the News of the World who founded the agency in 2005, said: “Stuart and Shelley are two dynamic, focused individuals who have led large successful teams in the agency while taking on increased responsibility for the running of the agency as a whole. They have earned the respect and admiration of everyone at the agency and we look forward to the agency growing under their leadership."

Gregory joined PHA Group in 2007 as its managing director and moved up into the CEO role two years ago. Hall said: "I would like to thank Mark Gregory for doing a brilliant job and leaving the agency in rude health. He leaves us with our best wishes, love and respect.”

Skinner said the new leadership duo had identified areas for growth and would be setting up new specialist practices in response to client demand. The agency is also developing more partnerships with other independent agencies in other countries, and was also looking to grow through acquisition.

He said: “Having both been with PHA for so long, we’ve often discussed what we would do if given the chance to run the agency we love. Since we took over, our aim has been to build on incredibly strong foundations and ensure that we have our clients’ needs and aspirations at the core of everything we do; we want to foster a collaborative approach internally and externally.”

Frosdick added: “PHA has given both of us a place to develop, learn and work with some fantastic clients and individuals, and being given the opportunity to work alongside each other to take the agency forward in our new roles is an opportunity we are both thrilled to have.

“We share a vision for what the future of PHA looks like, with our brilliant colleagues being at the heart of this. Our goal is to work with them to create opportunities for growth in new areas, develop existing practice areas that are already performing at a high level and to continue to ensure that PHA is one of the best independent agencies to work for in the UK.”

The PHA Group’s offering includes consumer, sport and fitness, B2B, technology, third sector, influencers, healthcare, crisis and reputation management, and personal PR.