Jon O'Donnell, newly installed advertising director at the London Evening Standard, refused Media Week's initial request to interview him point blank.
"Sorry, can't do it," he said, deadpan. "The wife [Hello! ad director Jacque] says I've got to lose a stone in weight for the photograph."
Such black humour and banter is a prerequisite for senior newspaper commercial types, where an engaging personality can help nail a big ad deal.
The well-liked O'Donnell has banter in spades. He is a stand-up comedian in his spare time, regularly performing at small venues around London. A phone-around to dig up some dirt on him produced zilch. "A good operator" and "liked by most" was the general theme.
However, his dress sense - a loud striped shirt, jeans and Marks & Spencer formal jacket - is questionable for a well-proportioned man in his late-30s.
He looks like someone from a one-hit wonder band from the '90s rolled out on Never Mind the Buzzcocks for the panellists to identify.
This scenario is not so far-fetched as, back in 1992, a young O'Donnell was central to Manchester's thriving dance music scene and helped pen seminal techno anthems such as I'm Coming Hardcore by Manic. Playing live, O'Donnell would MC its refrain repeatedly over a heavy techno beat to sweaty hordes of Northern clubbers.
Seventeen years on, following advertising roles at The Guardian, Express Newspapers and the Mail on Sunday, he is defiantly hardcore about the prospects of the London Evening Standard, which stunned the media world this month by going free for the first time in its 182-year history.
"People expect things to be free nowadays," says O'Donnell. "When I was younger, I would buy vinyl. But now you can get music for free. We are presenting a realistic alternative to paid-for newspapers."
Hot seat
O'Donnell found himself in the hot seat after former boss Simon Davies moved across the atrium at Northcliffe House on Derry Street to take on the commercial director role at The Independent.
The pair were also colleagues at the Mail on Sunday, where O'Donnell spent seven years between 1999 and 2006, and are thought to remain friends. He is keen not to dwell on Davies' tenure as ad director at the Evening Standard, but some suggest O'Donnell, in his number two role, did the bulk of the day-to-day donkey work at the paper. He has no plans to appoint a deputy of his own and will rely on his existing senior team, comprising head of trading John Gill, head of strategic sales Matt Batchelor and head of client communications Deborah Rosenegk.
However, the step up is not insignificant. He will find himself thrashing out the strategic direction of the paper with managing director Andrew Mullins, editor Geordie Greig (who, in passing, refers to O'Donnell as "Johnny") and, should they be in town, globetrotting Russian owner Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny. O'Donnell has yet to meet Lebedev senior, despite the Russian being proprietor for nigh on a year, but describes Evgeny as "visionary" and a "great guy".
There is certainly a buzz around the Standard, with its glamorous owner, well-connected editor and pioneering move to shed £12m a year in cover price revenue in a bid to resuscitate a brand that is no longer a fixture on ad schedules.
O'Donnell is feverish about the paper's fortunes, positing the possibility of a debut cover wrap, luring in fresh retail and telecoms clients, and rubbishing references to the paper as a freesheet.
He is also articulate and reasoned about the market. "The Telegraph's scoop about MPs' expenses put on 20,000 extra readers," he points out. "This was the pinnacle of journalism, but people weren't prepared to stay with the paper. It's the same with promotions - it's becoming more and more difficult to monetise newspaper circulations."
The challenge for O'Donnell is convincing agencies his paper, with its London-centric stance but national aspirations, should be a must-have with its enlarged 600,000 upmarket audience.
"Years ago, the Standard was first on schedules," he says. "But times have changed. Advertisers and agencies think we've got the number of copies right - the big problem is not to run out."
Greater value
Lebedev is banking on an increase in ad rates to replace the Standard's 50p cover price, which will be fundamental in helping the paper break even by year three. O'Donnell believes he would be justified in doubling rates, offering agencies "cost efficiencies" and "greater value" for clients in return. The response to date has been largely positive, but the reality is that rates will initially have only increased between 25% and 50%.
There is no short-term magic pill to restore the London Evening Standard to rude health - it has been badly wounded by News International's thelondonpaper and Associated's London Lite.
Cleethorpes-born Northerner O'Donnell has long since handed in his raving whistle and now prefers to watch his beloved Arsenal, where he is a season ticket holder.
He has been given a well-deserved golden ticket at the Standard and finally has the chance to prove he can make a success of being the number one commercial guy at a newspaper - which will be another hardcore challenge for the former techno DJ.
O'Donnell on...
Paid-for national newspapers: National newspapers are a different market. We're out there in the afternoons, but some people may decide they don't have time to read in the morning, so they might switch to us. I wouldn't be surprised if others follow suit and go free.
Alan Brydon's 50th birthday trip to Las Vegas: There was an incident when someone fell into a buffet trolley. It wasn't me, despite reports. That's all I am saying.
Being Mr Nice Guy: The job won't change me. It has nothing to do with being nice. I am fortunate to get on well with a lot of people, but I don't need to be any more visible than before. We're a tight unit.
Media requirements: We have no plans to change our media agency. Geordie Greig is very commercial and has strong relationships with important brands. He gets on well with high-end people, which is an invaluable strength for us.
Freesheets: I don't know why we are being referred to as a freesheet. I could understand it if we had just launched as a free title, but we are still the same quality newspaper with the same pagination.
CV
October 2009
Advertising director, London Evening Standard
2008
Deputy advertising director, London Evening Standard
2006
Head of trading, Mail on Sunday
2004
Regional sales manager, MoS
2003
Newspaper brand manager, MoS
2002
Magazine brand manager, MoS
1999
Display sales executive, MoS
1998
Display sales executive, Express Newspapers
1993
Display sales executive, Guardian Newspapers
Born
Cleethorpes
Lives
West London
Family
Married to Jacque, advertising director on Hello
Hobbies
Arsenal Football Club, photography and the gym