Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has a new group of senior advisers surrounding him, following a massive shuffling of the deck by his new chief of staff.

On his first official day on the job as Ignatieff's new chief of staff, Peter Donolo announced a new senior staff lineup that came into effect on Tuesday.

In a message to his Liberal colleagues, Donolo explained that the incoming staff was experienced and the core of a "disciplined and determined team."

"This is a very seasoned group of proven individuals with a wide breadth of experience in politics and the wider public sphere," Donolo said.

With Ignatieff and the Liberals languishing in public opinion polls, analysts say the drastic change of staff was both predictable and needed.

"There needed to be some changes and people recognized that," Liberal strategist Rob Silver told CTV News Channel's Power Play.

"It's too soon to tell but something needed to change," Kory Teneycke, former director of communication for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, added. "You can't change the leader, but you can change the staff."

Mario Lague will be Ignatieff's communications director, the same job he performed for Paul Martin when he was prime minister. He is also a former diplomat and senior bureaucrat.

Patricia Sorbara, the Liberal leader's new chief operating officer, is a longtime organizer and a former senior adviser to David Peterson when he was premier of Ontario.

Brian Bohunicky becomes Ignatieff's senior policy adviser and he will be in charge of the Liberal caucus research bureau. A Rhodes Scholar, Bohunicky previously worked for two ministers in Jean Chretien's Liberal government.

Longtime Liberal organizer Heather Chiasson will serve as Ignatieff's liaison within the party. Chiasson has been working for the national wing of the Liberal party, in one capacity or another, since 1992.

Several other advisers have had their roles switched by Donolo.

Jean Marc Fournier, a former Quebec cabinet minister, is now Ignatieff's principal secretary. He was previously advising the Liberal leader on the province.

Ignatieff's legislative assistant, Jim Pimblett, now becomes his executive assistant. Before working with Ignatieff, Pimblett worked for Paul Martin and for Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty when he was leader of the Opposition.

Sachin Aggarwal will be the director of operations for the Liberal leader. Aggarwal managed both of Ignatieff's campaigns for Parliament in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Jeremy Broadhurst becomes Ignatieff's director of legislative affairs. He previously served as senior policy adviser under Ignatieff, as well as Liberal leaders Bill Graham and Stephane Dion.

Former Liberal MP Karen Redman will be the caucus liaison for Ignatieff. She was an elected MP for the Ontario riding of Kitchener Centre from 1997 to 2008.

Donolo took over the role of Ignatieff's chief of staff from longtime supporter Ian Davey, who was fired several weeks ago. Other top aides followed Davey's departure.

Many Liberals blamed the party's poor fortunes in recent months on the inexperienced staff who had been advising Ignatieff.

With files from The Canadian Press