Monday
I start the week with a meeting with the FT's 20-strong integrated print and digital trading team, led by Danny Aldred. We share information about pitches coming up, ads we have missed and potential projects we want to win. We also look at new launches that are getting a lot of traction, like the FT's iPhone app that has had about 20,000 downloads and two million sessions logged. In the afternoon, I have a conference call with colleagues in the US, where we talk about the remit for the industrial category, before heading home for an evening golf lesson at Top Golf in Chigwell.
Tuesday
I have a breakfast meeting with the account directors for GE at OMD, followed by a meeting with the account directors for private bank Pictet at John Ayling. I try to fit in about six or seven meetings with clients a week.
I then have lunch at Zuma with International Sports Management, where we discuss this year's annual FT Business Golf Challenge, which kicks off in May. The FT is the media partner so we talk about the media and broadcast strategies. Last year, the tournament was broadcast on Setanta, so this year it may move to ESPN.
In the afternoon I catch up with the special reports team, who publish about 20 special reports a year, on subjects ranging from investing in Brazil to jewellery. We review commercial progress and discuss ideas for new projects. At the end of last year we relaunched our Global MBA Rankings as a 72-page magazine, which is now performing strongly.
In the evening, I go for after-work drinks with the client planning team to welcome a new starter to the team, Stuart Wakeling. Circuit training will have to wait.
Wednesday
I have breakfast at the Charlotte Street Hotel with Dave Mulrenan, head of trading at Zenith Optimedia, before heading back to the office for a meeting with my boss Ben Hughes, deputy chief executive of the FT, and his other direct reports.
This is a weekly meeting to update the team on our projects across the world, for example Davos, where we produced videos, blogs, sponsored meetings, sponsored copies and three special reports before, during and after the event.
I then have lunch at Roka with David Mitchell, head of marketing at Xerox, but it is fairly brief as I have to get back for a meeting with Rob Jolliffe, sales director of continental Europe, and Mark Carwardine, head of sales for MEA.
Our Africa revenue grew last year on the back of our strong reports programme, and our Middle East edition, which launched in late 2008 from Dubai, now sells 11,000 copies a day. Last year was very tough but we are committed to growing our business in the ME and Africa - we currently have two Dubai offices and one in Abu Dhabi.
In the evening, I have dinner with the UK regional sales team, who cover regional clients and agencies and are led by Jim Swarbrick who is based in Manchester.
Thursday
I start the day by taking two of my group heads for a monthly catch-up and career mentoring breakfast at Roast in Borough Market.
I then have a meeting with the FT Recruitment Solutions division, led by Steve Playford. We acquired the online job service www.exec-appointments.com two years ago, and it performed extremely well last year, which is a miracle in this market. We are also looking at expanding our Non-Executive Directors' club, sponsored by Grant Thornton, which launched last year and now has about 1,100 members in the UK.
In the afternoon, I go to the motorcycle show in the Excel Centre in Docklands to meet the marketing team for Triumph and to build relationships with motorcycle clients and advertisers. Motorbikes are a personal passion - I own two Triumphs and a Honda - but bike ownership also chimes very strongly with FT readers.
In the evening I fly out to Switzerland. I do about 150 business trips a year, and in 2010 I will focus on developing markets: Beirut, Cairo and Tunis. I spend Thursday night in Lausanne and have dinner with my Swiss counterpart Stefan de Muynck.
Friday
I go to Geneva to meet the new head of comms for the World Economic Forum. We discuss publishing issues post-Davos and how we can support their events over this year. I also meet the new head of comms for UBS Philanthropic Services, which advises extremely rich people on how to donate their wealth charitably.
In the evening, I fly home to spend the weekend with my family at home in Chelmsford, Essex. I wind down at the weekends by riding motorbikes - I spend Saturday at a track day at Cadwell Park in Essex.
Be the first to comment