Drew Benvie, the firm’s blogging and social media expert, is to join rival Hotwire in a similar role to his one at Lewis.

Benvie has become synonymous with blogging through ‘Drew B’s take on tech PR’, which has become one of the most well-read blogs in the UK tech PR sector.

Head of international media strategy Michael Gonza­lez is also leaving the comp­any for an unknown role.

Lewis’ marketing mana­ger David Cunningham is moving to corporate information and outsourcing firm Williams Lea in the new role of UK head of external comms.

Cunningham is being drafted in to review the company’s PR output and is expected to tender briefs for agency support after joining next month. Last year German firm Deutsche Post took a majority stake in the UK-based firm.

Lewis’ sister agency Octane is also set to lose account director Gillian Salvage. Lewis confirmed the exit but said the agency was still expanding, and would soon move into its own offices to enhance its separate standing from Lewis.

Although Lewis described the changes as ‘not out of the ordinary in the context of a staff of 70 in the UK’, sources close to the agency said some of the better-known figures could prove difficult to
replace immediately.

But Lewis has also brought in one of the UK tech industry’s best-known journalists, Will Sturgeon, editor-at-large at Silicon. Sturgeon joins as associate director and will work on accounts such as Salesforce.com and Citrix.