The A-List: 2008

Born

1st January 1961

Job

Managing director

Company

Haymarket BrandMedia

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 8267 4956.

Address

174 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 7JP

Fantasy business partner

Bill Gates.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

Cycling and recycling.

Greatest influence

Professionally, my father.

Favourite gadget

Sky+.

Desert island objects

Nintendo Wii, ripe peaches and the collected works of Charles Dickens.

Most-admired politician

Clement Attlee, for the creation of the NHS.

Favourite media

Financial Times, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Radio 4, bbc.co.uk.

Biggest risk taken

Launching a newspaper in Hong Kong.

Perfect day

At Locanda Amorosa with Sara, Eliza and Clem.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

John Malkovich.

Career highlights

Going digital.

Fictional hero

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Hidden talent

Magic tricks.

Best job outside advertising

Messenger boy in Paris.

Lowdown

Olins is now in charge of Haymarket's mighty media portfolio, which includes Campaign, Marketing, MediaWeek, PR Week and Brand Republic. Much of 2007 was dedicated to relaunching Brand Republic as the leading site for the communications industries; now Olins' 2008 will be about fully realising the potential of the individual Brand Media properties in the digital age.

Most expensive purchase

A painting by Roger Hardy.

Why are you good at what you do?

I listen, absorb and have lots of ideas.