- Andrew McMains

For the second time in as many years, DDB has named a new chief creative officer for its New York office. This time, the agency has recruited from within, replacing Eric Silver with Matt Eastwood, DDB's top creative in Australia.

The change comes several months after Silver shifted to a new business-focused role at the Omnicom Group shop, according to sources. Since then, DDB had been quietly searching for Silver's successor -- and Silver has met with other shops seeking creative chiefs, said sources.

Silver did not return calls. In a statement announcing Eastwood's appointment, DDB made no mention of Silver and executives there could not immediately be reached.

DDB represented Silver's first stab at running a creative department. He joined the agency in February 2009, when he replaced Lee Garfinkel.

Before that, Silver was among four executive creative directors at BBDO in New York, where he worked on FedEx and Monster.com, among other clients.

Eastwood, 43, has been DDB's national cd in Australia since 2006. During that period, DDB Australia's creative reputation has grown, in part due to success at big shows such as Cannes.

The new CCO will transition into the role in the coming weeks and drop anchor in New York by the end of the summer, DDB said. Before DDB, Eastwood was chief creative officer of Young & Rubicam's New York office. He assumed that role in August 2004, when then office chairman and CEO Michael Patti shed his New York management duties and focused on his other role as worldwide cd. Eastwood left the agency about a year later.

Earlier in his career, Eastwood was chairman and executive creative director at the New York office of M&C Saatchi. His client experience ranges from British Airways, Clorox and Danone to McDonald's, Xerox, Unilever, Volkswagen and Wrigley's.

In a statement, DDB New York CEO Peter Hempel described Eastwood as an "experienced and accomplished creative leader." DDB worldwide CEO Chuck Brymer added, in a statement of his own: "It's a testament to the depth of our talent that DDB New York found just what it was looking for within its extended family." Eastwood, for his part, said he was "thrilled" by the opportunity.