- Describe yourself in three words.
Passionate, inspirational, focused.
- How do you define marketing?
The goal is always to make the phone ring, at incrementally lower cost.
- What would you be if you weren't a brand manager?
Back in venture capital, or adventure travel.
- What advice would you give someone starting their marketing career today?
Be teachable, be a team player and work harder than everyone else.
- What attracted you to your current job?
Nascent-market start-ups have been my focus for the past decade. RatedPeople.com represents the next big thing - using the web as a bridge to deliver quality, local services.
- What was your first job?
Investment banking at Merrill Lynch (I was fortunate to be recruited on campus). Then on to start-ups.
- What was your finest hour?
Fatherhood - an incredibly rewarding yet humbling brand-building exercise.
- What's your greatest ambition?
To inspire positive change and growth in whatever I do.
- What is your favourite marketing campaign?
US burger chain Wendy's outstanding 'Where's the beef?'ads.
- What is your all-time favourite slogan?
Best idea wins.
- What marketing trend is dominating your job at the moment?
Our focus is on optimising yield, but it is important this be done using a co-ordinated yet diversified channel strategy where 1+1 = >2. No one source should be too dominant.
- What makes you angry?
A wayward tee shot. No, seriously, what upsets me is injustice.
- What's your favourite holiday destination?
Aspen for skiing and food; Harbour Island for sun and beach; Buenos Aires for polo and tango; El Salvador for surf and Corona; Cap Ferrat for £35 burgers.
If you had three wishes, what would they be?
That my home renovation would finally end, that all tradesmen were 'Rated', and that I had joined Sergey and Larry 10 years ago.
- What have been your best and worst freebies?
Best: a private U2 concert for NetJets. Worst: first pub event for tradesmen (only two showed up).