Big four financial services firm PwC has appointed a new regional chairman for the Midlands.
Matt Hammond will lead more than 2,000 staff across the firm's three offices in Birmingham, Castle Donington and Milton Keynes.
He takes over next month from Mark Smith following seven years in the post as both chairman and senior partner for the Birmingham office which is based in Cornwall Street.
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Mr Hammond returns to Birmingham from his current role as PwC's regional chairman in the west and Wales region.
Prior to his move there in 2013, he led PwC's deals practice in the Midlands.
He joined PwC in 1996 and was based in the west region until late 2004.
In 2005, he moved to the Midlands where he was promoted to director and in 2006 was admitted to the partnership.
Between 2010 and 2013, he led the business recovery services team and latterly the deals team in the Midlands.
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Mr Hammond said: "It is a great privilege to be heading up PwC's Midlands practice and to lead the future development of the firm in the region.
"Mark has done an exceptional job over the last seven years and I look forward to working with the teams across the three offices and delivering further growth.
"We have just strengthened the senior team in the Midlands, with eight new partners and 14 new directors, reflecting a major investment to support clients in the regions.
"With stronger economic growth, regional devolution and an expanding financial services sector, it's an exciting time for the Midlands."
Mr Smith added: "The last seven years have been extremely rewarding and I'm delighted the firm has continued to perform very strongly in the region.
"We have experienced growth in excess of 20 per cent in the last 12 months which has been achieved across all areas of the business.
"We have also recruited a significant number of new specialists to provide an even broader range of services to our clients in the Midlands.
"We have won a number of prestigious new audits in the last two years and I'm really looking forward to focusing even more of my time working with some of the leading businesses in the region."