The A-List: 2008

Job

Chief strategy officer

Company

Euro RSCG London

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7240 4111.

Address

Euro RSCG , Cupola House, 15 Alfred Place, London, WC1E 7EB

Fantasy business partner

Mark Cadman and Mark Hunter.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

Every little helps.

Greatest influence

My dad.

Clubs

Lidstone Family History Society, Virgin Active.

Favourite gadget

Hard drive digital video camera.

Desert island objects

Grandma's chicken and mushroom pie, a bottle of Ketel One vodka, iPod.

Most-admired politician

Jed Bartlet (see The West Wing episodes 1 to 154 for the reasons why).

Favourite media

The Observer, The Observer Music Monthly, The West Wing, Radio 4, clubpenguin.com.

Biggest risk taken

Not going into academia in order to have a go at advertising.

Perfect day

Christmas Day.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Morgan Freeman.

Career highlights

Working for Coca-Cola, winning Sega as my first pitch, working with Leslie Butterfield, being part of the agency of the decade (HHCL), working on Tesco (among other things) at Lowe, and being made head of planning; being hired by JWT to head planning; joining Euro RSCG with Cadders.

Fictional hero

Howard Roark.

Hidden talent

I can put 24 marshmallow flumps in my mouth at the same time.

Best job outside advertising

Ethnographic youth researcher for Coca-Cola.

Lowdown

Lidstone is one of the industry's best ambassadors. He's a formidable thinker with brilliant people skills. Entrepreneurial in spirit, he's exactly the kind of strategist David Jones needs in a London office that needed to be almost completely rewired when he and Mark Cadman arrived.

Most expensive purchase

Bed.

Why are you good at what you do?

I like it.