The A-List: 2008

Born

1st January 1961

Job

Founding partner

Company

CHI & Partners

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7462 8500.

Address

7 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1LY

Fantasy business partner

Charles Dunstone.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

I'm an enthusiastic composter.

Greatest influence

Chap on the other side of my desk, Warren Moore.

Favourite gadget

iPod, inevitably.

Desert island objects

Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, Lord of the Rings, windsurfing kit.

Most-admired politician

Nelson Mandela.

Favourite media

The Sunday Times, Private Eye, 24, Radio Five Live, bbc.co.uk.

Biggest risk taken

Crossed the Atlantic by yacht (without knowing one end of a boat from the other).

Perfect day

Mucking about with Jess and Lucy (my children) on the beach.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Tom Cruise with heels.

Career highlights

Set up Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray; launched Proximity Worldwide; set up Hall Moore CHI; founding partner of CHI & Partners; chairman of IDM.

Fictional hero

Jimbo Bond.

Hidden talent

I'm a fiendish table tennis player.

Best job outside advertising

Journalist on local paper.

Lowdown

Following WPP's acquisition of a minority stake in the CHI group, Hall will need to make sure his agency (which has been rather quiet for a while), can find a voice amid WPP's network influence.

Most expensive purchase

Being fleeced by my daughter at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Why are you good at what you do?

Don't take myself too seriously.