The A-List: 2008

Job

President

Company

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7462 7405.

Fantasy business partner

Maurice Levy. Slightly sycophantic, but true.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

By observing the things that my children tell me I should stop doing.

Greatest influence

My children, who keep my feet on the ground.

Clubs

Harry's Bar, Soho House, Annabel's and various other London-based dens of iniquity; Hankley Common, Effingham and Burning Tree Golf Clubs (Burning Tree USA); Roehampton Tennis Club, an assortment of gyms; other dining clubs around the world that I really should visit more often so I could remember where they all are.

Favourite gadget

Home cinema.

Desert island objects

My wife, Karen, my BlackBerry and my golf clubs.

Most-admired politician

Barack Obama. I believe he is going to do something different in American politics at long last.

Favourite media

The Times, The Economist, Match of The Day, Radio Five Live, It's a small world.

Biggest risk taken

Relocating to the US to take the presidency of DMB&B North America, as the fourth person in the job in three years.

Perfect day

Eighteen holes at Sunningdale Golf Club, lunch at The Ivy, and dinner at a local pub with the family in the Surrey countryside.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Bruce Willis.

Career highlights

Account executive, manager, director IMP, 1980 to 1984; founder, director of FKB in 1985; managing director IMP 1986 to 1989; chief executive IMP Worldwide, 1989 to 1993, Chairman and chief executive DMB&B Group London 1993 to 1996; president and chief executive, DMB&B North America, 1996 to 1999, chief executive worldwide, DMB&B, 2000 to 2003, president and chief executive, Publicis Groupe, SAMS Worldwide, 2004 to the present.

Fictional hero

Batman.

Hidden talent

Song and dance routines.

Best job outside advertising

Unit venue catering manager (head of the fish and chip shop) at Butlins in Minehead.

Lowdown

Farrell's low profile belies his status in Publicis Groupe, where his empire, which embraces everything from direct marketing and healthcare to corporate communications, accounts for more than 30 per cent of total revenues. Has been mooted as a decent outside bet to be the future group frontman when Maurice Levy decides to call it a day.

Most expensive purchase

Audio-video technology for the home cinema.

Why are you good at what you do?

I say what I do and I do what I say.