Steel's appointment comes on the back of significant growth in 2010 with new business won from brands such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Hertz and Virgin Media.

Jon Goulding, chief executive officer at Gutenberg Networks said: "Steel’s tenure as new business director delivered a stellar financial year and has seen us expand our client base, services and staff - driven purely by client demand.

"This is a massively dynamic sector and the promotion of Steel to managing director will see him lead the development of the business and focus on building deeper client relationships for the next stage of growth."

Steel previously held the position of chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi UK's multi-channel production company The Facilities Group (TfG).

He later went on the become a founding partner of the value management agency Salt, where he worked with clients including Merck Schering Plough, ISBA and BMI Healthcare.

Steel said: "As the production sector continues to grow, we offer something most production companies can’t because they’re engrained in traditional solutions.

"Our model is more agile, providing greater expertise more effectively. In addition, our understanding of the creative process will change the way production and creative agencies interact, saving clients valuable budget."