The A-List: 2008

Job

Former group chief executive

Company

Work Telephone

n/a.

Fantasy business partner

My wife.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

Biggest local contributor to bottle banks.

Greatest influence

My father.

Clubs

The Groucho, Soho House, Facebook.

Favourite gadget

Espresso coffee machine.

Desert island objects

Espresso coffee machine, iPod, my boat.

Most-admired politician

Tony Blair, for courage under fire.

Favourite media

The Times, The New Yorker, The X Factor, Radio 4, primelocation.com.

Biggest risk taken

Diving off a cliff.

Perfect day

Morning hike, big lunch, nap, big dinner.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Tim Lindsay.

Career highlights

Good times with good people at Young & Rubicam, Abbott Mead Vickers, Leagas Delaney and Leo Burnett.

Fictional hero

Travis McGee, from the novels by John D MacDonald.

Hidden talent

Ask my wife.

Best job outside advertising

Grave digging. It pays well.

Lowdown

Resigned on a matter of principle in the autumn, and won himself some new respect for doing so.

Most expensive purchase

My boat.

Why are you good at what you do?

By using a big dose of common sense.