The A-List: 2008

Born

13th March 1967

Job

Managing director

Company

McCann Erickson

Work Telephone

+44 (0)20 7961 2115.

Address

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

Fantasy business partner

Steve Jobs or Walt Disney.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

Lexus RX400h which offsets about one toe.

Greatest influence

My father.

Clubs

Following Groucho Marx's advice and enjoying being invited to everyone else's clubs.

Favourite gadget

Wildly complicated digital radio alarm clock.

Desert island objects

Is a five-star hotel an object? Can my children (three of them as collective) be classified as one object? If yes, those, and the collected works of William Shakespeare that I never read during my English degree.

Most-admired politician

Got to be Winston Churchill. V-signs, cigars and great speeches.

Favourite media

Evening Standard, The Week, The F-Word, Radio Five Live, Craigslist.org.

Biggest risk taken

Having a third child.

Perfect day

A massive pitch presentation.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Hopefully, George Clooney. More likely to be Harry Hill.

Career highlights

DMB&B (sadly deceased); Lowe Howard-Spink, Publicis, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, McCann Erickson.

Fictional hero

Willy Wonka.

Hidden talent

Cooking.

Best job outside advertising

Children's TV gameshow host (sadly never commissioned).

Lowdown

As most of Rupert Howell's all-stars spent the year quitting the agency, MacDonald must now feel like he has room to breath in the agency he tirelessly steers through adland. Funny and smart with an ability to charm clients and staff alike, he's one of the best in the business.

Most expensive purchase

My wife's 40th birthday present.

Why are you good at what you do?

Eternal optimism, a fantastic agency team and a German PA.