Monday
I’m up at 6.30am, make tea for my thermos and drive to the station in Buckinghamshire according to the Japanese "just in time" principles of sourcing - that is, to arrive just in time to see the train pulling in. On the train I dip into Keith Richards’ autobiography and check the iPhone for emails and apps including Twitter, the Financial Times, Facebook, Sky Football and Angry Birds.
From Marylebone, I cycle to OMD’s offices in Minerva House in the centre of the Charlotte Street media village. We have a big new-business meeting to prepare for this week, so I meet up with head of strategy Toby Roberts, head of client development Neil Duncan and head of search Mark Mitchell to review progress and create a compelling story from the myriad ideas we have been collating.
At lunch, I duck out to the UCL pool behind our offices for a quick swim. I’m planning to do a half Ironman triathlon this year, which means taking regular exercise. In the afternoon, I review presentations for the board away-day on Tuesday. Luckily, the presentations are all on-brief and give great direction for the coming year, so they require minimal feedback. I also interview candidates for some new senior digital roles we’re creating.
Tuesday
Up early and straight into my running kit as I have introduced an early morning run around Regent’s Park. It’s bloody difficult to get moving for but it brings more consistency to my exercise routine, which was written off last year through a combination of a new baby, commuting and work.
Once showered, it’s straight into a meeting with OMD’s finance director, Mark Chappell, to discuss our latest financial plan. I’m then in back-to-back meetings with Jeremy Irving, who fronts our in-house creative agency The Doodle Bar; our business development director Jessica Roberts; and our head of digital Will Smyth to discuss 2011 objectives and plans.
Then it’s off to the Haymarket Hotel for OMD’s board away-day - an intensive four hours of presentations and Q&A sessions, eased somewhat by the pleasant environs of the amazing pool and private rooms that come highly recommended!
Wednesday
I need to plan ahead today, as I’m going up to Leeds in the evening to watch them stuff Arsenal in the FA Cup tie. I spend the morning planning an important set-piece meeting with one of our clients next week, where we hope to be able to expand our remit into new and interesting areas. There are plenty of good ideas but they will need a fair bit of crafting before next week, which is slightly worrying.
After a quick lap round the office to catch up on various projects, it’s time to set off north with my mate Guy Chiswick of Webloyalty. We arrive by 7pm, park in a dubious carpark near Elland Road and sprint to meet my brother-in-law Alan. Arsenal score in the sixth minute, but we fight back valiantly and the result is 3-1 to Arsenal. It was a hare-brained plan to drive to Leeds and back for a match, but the M1 is clear and we’re home by 12.30am.
Thursday
Feeling the effects of a late night, I join our head of new business and marketing Sharon Browne for a meeting with Paul Phillips, managing director of AAR. We talk about OMD’s plans for 2011 and get the AAR’s perspective on the market - it’s always interesting and challenging to get an outside opinion on the business.
I then head out to meet a couple of clients for pitch review meetings. I want to make sure we’re staying on track as an agency and to get an update on the clients’ key challenges in the period ahead. All’s good, but there are a few things coming up for both clients that we need to get a decent handle on. For example, opinions on the London Olympics and the future of social and mobile commerce are in hot demand as planning horizons start to zero in on 2012.
Lunch is a belated Christmas do, postponed due to last year’s snow, with the client and agency teams. I don’t go on the wagon in January but it’s weird to don party wigs and have a Christmas-themed quiz so late in January. Everyone stays late, but I shoot off to see my daughter Amelie and wife Alex before the former goes to bed.
Friday
I catch the train to see the prospective client this morning. We receive a warm welcome and the meeting goes extremely well. But you can never can really tell how these things will go, so although the team is all fired up on the train back, I just hope the client feels the same enthusiasm.
After a quick run around Regents Park, I meet up with Sharon Browne to discuss ideas for developing our pitching approach. I also fit in a meeting with my private business coach, who helps challenge me about what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. It’s always a good to have a bit of motivation before the weekend.
My Friday policy is to always leave at 5pm on the dot to get back to my family. Whatever needs doing work-wise can be done over the weekend or finished off on the train on Monday morning.
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