The A-List: 2008

Born

24th March 1966

Job

Joint executive creative director

Company

McCann Erickson

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7961 2268.

Address

Communications House, 7-11 Herbrand Street, London, WC1N 1EX

Fantasy business partner

Hugh Hefner.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

By walking.

Greatest influence

John Webster.

Clubs

Not disclosed.

Favourite gadget

Sky+.

Desert island objects

An iPod, Sky + and a copy of "The Idiot's Guide to Boat Building".

Most-admired politician

Bill Clinton, because he promoted inclusion by keeping dialogue alive, and he is a noted cigar aficionado.

Favourite media

The Guardian, Wired, The Sopranos, Radio 4, Amazon.

Biggest risk taken

Walking the streets of Sao Paulo.

Perfect day

Seeing good work.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

SpongeBob SquarePants.

Career highlights

The next good thing.

Fictional hero

Ignatius J Reilly (A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole), or maybe Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski.

Hidden talent

Restraint.

Best job outside advertising

Picking fruit on a kibbutz.

Lowdown

Learman is proof that joint-executive creative directorships work. With his partner, Brian Fraser, Learman has managed to wrest a string of good campaigns out of a creative department which was only ever remarkable for its size.

Most expensive purchase

Peace and quiet.

Why are you good at what you do?

Because I listen.