The A-List: 2008

Born

11th May 1964

Job

Chief executive

Company

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7616 3725.

Address

151 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5QE

Fantasy business partner

Sophia Coppola. A creative pioneer in film and in a man's world.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

www.worldlandtrust.org.

Greatest influence

Rudolf Nureyev. Watching him dance shed a new light on the world.

Clubs

Shoreditch House, Highbury Book Club.

Favourite gadget

My MotoKRZR.

Desert island objects

Pillow, pencil, paper.

Most-admired politician

Mikhail Gorbachev. Leadership that was unexpected for his time.

Favourite media

The Times, The New Yorker, Boston Legal, Virgin Radio, net-a-porter.com.

Biggest risk taken

Leaving home.

Perfect day

My birthday.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Aishwarya Rai.

Career highlights

Started at AMV in 1990 to work for David, Peter and Adrian; succeeded to chief executive in 2005; joined the BBDO Worldwide Board in 2007; working on ideas that raised the ceiling and the floor.

Fictional hero

Joseph K from Kafka's The Trial.

Hidden talent

Kissing.

Best job outside advertising

Teaching jazz ballet in Paris.

Lowdown

Despite rumours that she has one eye on New York, the fiery Ramzan Golant has helped to steer the agency to its best year for some time. Her controlled and thoughtful management style has instilled AMV BBDO with a successful feel and a confident swagger.

Most expensive purchase

My Matisse.

Why are you good at what you do?

I fear very little (apart from failure and infrequent trips to the dentist).