She replaces Jason Madeley, who has taken a career break to go travelling.

The agency, one of the largest outside London, now plans to expand by opening a second office in London.

Ms Elliott joins Ptarmigan after having developed her own 45-strong consultancy, Keene Communications, in London over a 15-year period.

Following its sale and her own earn-out, completed in 2006, she has been providing strategic consultancy on a project basis to businesses in the North East.

Ptarmigan founder and executive chairman, Gordon Forbes, said: "Jason leaves with my own thanks and heartfelt appreciation for 13 fantastic years, and all the staff's best wishes, for whatever lies ahead for him.

"We have been fortunate to find someone as experienced as Tina to take over managing the company so quickly, and I am particularly excited by her background in corporate, IT and healthcare, three areas of great opportunity for us."

Exciting

Ms Elliott said: "It's great to get stuck back into agency life.

"Everyone at Ptarmigan has been so welcoming and I am looking forward to an exciting new career at a company with such potential and in such an upcoming city.

"I am confident I am going to thoroughly enjoy my time in Leeds."

In a related move, associate director Helen Wills moves up to the main board, with responsibility for Ptarmigan's work in the public sector.