LONDON — The Romans has shaken up its management team, six months after co-founder Misha Dhanak left the agency.

Director Roxy Kalha, who joined The Romans four years ago from her role as a global director in the consumer team at M&C Saatchi Public Relations, has been promoted into the newly-created role of managing director. Kalha was also the head of lifestyle at W Communications and an associate director in Weber Shandwick’s consumer practice.

Kalha said 2019 was the most successful year the agency had had since it was founded in 2015, commercially and in terms of creative work: “Braver briefs, bigger budgets, better work. I’m most excited about the sheer power of human potential already housed at The Romans and just what they can accomplish with the right guidance, development and encouragement.”

In addition, Paddy Hobbs has been promoted to director. Hobbs joined the agency from W Communications at the end of 2018; he was also the head of sport at PrettyGreen. Hobbs leads The Romans’ mental wellbeing proposition, including its relationship with the CALM charity.

Associate creative Ottilie Ratcliffe and director Lucy McGettigan also join the UK leadership team. Ratcliffe, one of the winners of the Young PR Lions UK competition in 2017, is the second full-time creative on The Romans management team. McGettigan joined the agency two years ago, having previously spent five years at Frank, and has led some of The Romans’ most award-winning campaigns, including for Freya Lingerie and Virgin Trains.

All four continue to report to The Romans’ founder and executive creative director, Joe Mackay-Sinclair, who said the team had delivered 30% growth over the past year: “The plan for 2020 is more of the same, with a focus on locating and nurturing the best talent in the market and scaling the agency to fully realise our creative ambition. I couldn’t hope for a more caring or commercial management team.”

Over the past year, the agency has picked up new clients including Santander, Eve Sleep, Ben & Jerry’s, Ella’s Kitchen, Ecover, Go Compare, Badoo, Deezer, Nestle and Ovo Energy.