R/GA, the IPG-owned global digital agency, has hired AKQA's Jim Moffatt as the managing director of its two-year-old London office.

Moffatt, the former director of integration at AKQA, joined that agency in 2006. Before that, he worked at Nike for five years, first as the deputy head of brand communications in the UK, before being promoted to the director of brand communications in France. Nike happens to be one of both AKQA & R/GA's biggest clients.

Moffatt's brief is to manage R/GA London's day-to-day operations, meet financial targets and grow the business.

At present, there are more than 30 full-time employees in the London office, and clients include John Lewis, SC Johnson and Nokia.

The agency has been on the hunt for someone local to run R/GA London for some time. In the interim, the office has been overseen by Yuri Salnikoff, who will now revert to his role as the managing director of the global Nokia account.

Moffatt will take up his role on 28 July, reporting to Bob Greenberg, the chairman, chief executive and global chief creative officer.

It is a smart move by Bob -- get a guy who has successful in-house experience with one of your largest clients (Nike) while both hurting your biggest competition (AKQA) -- check & mate!