This year, Williams has been extremely busy Mother-ising Mother's planning department and ensuring that it produces innovative and non-traditional work that, well, works. The traditional stuff isn't bad either - Boots, in particular, shows that fantastic creative campaigns can also be extremely effective.
2. David Bain, Beattie McGuinness Bungay
Bain and his excellent ability to draw the best out of his planning teams has helped inject a passionate new-business zeal into a young agency, which saw BMB head the new-business league for most of the year and come close to picking up the 北京赛车pk10 Agency of the Year award.
3. Jonathon Bottomly and Jason Gonsalves, Bartle Bogle Hegarty
They might not be the best-known planners in the industry but the duo, head of planning and head of engagement planning at BBH, have attacked the job of running the agency's planning department with gusto. They also played a pivotal part in the agency being named the IPA Effectiveness Company of the Year.
4. Lucy Jameson, DDB
Despite being forced to hand over DDB's IPA Effectiveness crown to BBH this year, Jameson still marshals one of the country's best planning departments and it's down, in no small part, to her intelligence and skill - which is mixed with a refreshingly down-to-earth style. Her work on Marmite is always outstanding.
5. Mark Sinnock, Fallon
As Laurence Green's role as chairman takes up more and more of his time, Sinnock's planning touch is becoming increasingly influential across Fallon's work. He has a good grasp of the business and is happy working on a pitch or getting his hands dirty on a big old brief.
6. Andy Nairn, Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy
Nairn saw his long-time partner Giles Hedger depart MCBD this year to take the reins at Leo Burnett, leaving him to steer the planning department on his own. He's handled this admirably and the agency's work continues to be rooted in good, solid strategic thinking, which works well with the creative panache injected by the executive creative director, Danny Brooke-Taylor.
7. Nikki Crumpton, McCann Erickson
Putting an intelligent planning touch to boss Chris Macdonald's hyperactive scatter-gun ideas would make Crumpton a shoo-in for this list on its own. But add to that the fact that she possesses one of the best minds in the business, and her position is assured.
8. David Golding, Adam & Eve
It was never really in doubt that Adam & Eve would do well, and of course Golding's brain is a major reason for its early success - not only is he marshalling new clients and winning new business, but he's putting together a talented team at the young agency.
9. Bridget Angear and Craig Mawdsley, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Since being promoted to replace George Bryant at the start of 2008, the pair have thrown themselves into the thick of running AMV BBDO's mammoth planning department. However, this hasn't stopped them getting involved in new business or producing great planning for clients.
10. George Bryant, The Brooklyn Brothers
Took the brave move of launching his own agency this year. With some new-business success under his belt, the affable Bryant is proving that he has the business acumen to go with the planning brain.