The A-List: 2008

Born

12th October 1967

Job

Partner

Company

Grand Union

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7908 0700.

Address

Eardley House, 182-184 Campden Hill Road, London, NW1 1BU

Fantasy business partner

Kate Moss.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

I ride a bike.

Greatest influence

My Dad.

Clubs

Soho House and The Bung Club.

Favourite gadget

Portable DVD player.

Desert island objects

An axe, some rope and a sheet (I would hate it on a desert island).

Most-admired politician

David Miliband. He seems to have the values that I associate with proper old-fashioned, politics.

Favourite media

The Guardian, The Week, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 6 Music, eBay.

Biggest risk taken

Leaving a Campaign journalist alone while I plucked up the courage to ask out my current partner, Katy, at the other end of the pub.

Perfect day

Saturday in the park with the family.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Vincent Cassell, because he would bring sophistication to what would make a pretty boring film.

Career highlights

Got a job in advertising at Saatchi & Saatchi, which was a dream come true, then got asked by Maurice Saatchi to defect to his new agency in 1995, left for another start-up in 1998 at Wieden & Kennedy, worked on the 1998 World Cup brief. My second dream came true in 2000, when I started Grand Union with my partners, Matt Nicholls and Phil Forshaw. We couldn't have asked for a better founding client in Tango; we now count Boots, BSkyB, Abbey, nPower, Digital UK, Coca-Cola, Energy Saving Trust, The Army, Department of Health and LearnDirect among our clients.

Fictional hero

Spiderman.

Hidden talent

I can flip 50 beer mats and catch them.

Best job outside advertising

Handling the underwear of the rich and famous as a porter in Harrods' lingerie department aged 16.

Lowdown

Grand Union's frontman seems to know everyone in adland, something that might explain his agency's strong reputation despite its historic lack of decent creative output. The appointment of Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam's Giles Montgomery as creative director needs to kick-start things in that department.

Most expensive purchase

A necklace.

Why are you good at what you do?

I never say never.