For the past four years, Peter Wilkinson cut a mysterious figure around Queen's Park.
The most senior political staffer in Dalton McGuinty's government rarely talked to reporters, or otherwise sought out attention. Perched on the top floor of the Whitney Block, across the street from Ontario's legislative building, he was virtually unknown to most people outside his party.
The same can't be said about Mr. Wilkinson's successor as Mr. McGuinty's chief of staff. To those who spend much time around the provincial capital, Chris Morley - who multiple sources say is replacing Mr. Wilkinson - is more of a known commodity.
Since 2007, Mr. Morley served as Mr. McGuinty's communications director. Before that, he was a press secretary. He's been a constant presence - at scrums, at briefings, as an official voice for the government.
The Liberals probably aren't aiming for a dramatic shift in direction. Mr. Wilkinson had been on the job for nearly four years, which is longer than many chiefs of staff can handle. It may have just been time for a change, and Mr. McGuinty went with someone he trusted.
It's fair to say, though, that the manner in which Mr. Morley runs the Premier's office will be considerably different.
Mr. Wilkinson, an accountant who's spent most of his career in the private sector, is said to have been primarily concerned with making sure the trains ran on time. Playing the heavy, he was a useful counterbalance to Mr. McGuinty, who's lighter on his staff than most leaders. But he's not an inherently political individual, and strategy doesn't seem to have been his primary focus.
Mr. Morley, conversely, has practically grown up in politics - working his way up after starting as a junior staffer during the Liberals' opposition days. And he's considered an adept strategist, having played an integral role in Mr. McGuinty's 2007 re-election bid.
Under his watch, there will likely be more attention paid to how every decision affects Mr. McGuinty's image - and, not unrelated, his prospects in next year's provincial campaign.
Mr. Morley's style of managing people, which will still be his biggest responsibility, will also strike a contrast. Less of a remote presence, and able to associate with more junior aides, he may be better at energizing them. The flip side is he may be less suited to keeping them in line, an equal challenge for a government late in its second term.
Provincial staffers don't receive half the public attention as their counterparts in Ottawa, and Mr. Morley will wisely try to keep it that way. But it will be a surprise if there aren't subtle changes in the government's performance now that Mr. McGuinty has a very different personality running the show behind the scenes.