APG Presents a conversation with Tom diSapia, Campaign Asia-Pac Young Achiever of the Year and Strategy Director at UM.

1. What was your first job?

My first job was working for an Indi record company in East London. I’d had wide eye ambition to make it in the music industry yet just 6 months was enough for me to know that it wasn’t quite the career I’d hoped for. However, I did get paid in records, met lots of semi famous musicians and play with a giant fluffy dog for most of the day.

2. What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Advertising probably only makes up only 5% of your clients time and it’s supposed to be the fun bit so make sure it is.

If I wasn’t in advertising I would be?

Struggling music producer or physicist. Couldn’t decide so ended up in advertising.

3. What is your favourite word and why? 

Phantasmagorias – a fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever. Phonetically wonderful and intriguing by definition

4. Where do you do your best thinking?

When I’m walking to work in the morning. I always to try walk some part of my journey to give me 20 mins to wonder and ponder the day.

5. How did you get into Planning?

I wanted to get out of client or account roles as soon as possible so took the planning route.

6. What do you love about being a planner?

Solving problems. It’s one thing that’s always novel and keeps you on your toes day in and day out.

7. What in your opinion makes a good planner?

Someone who can boil a problem down to its core elements without over complicating things just to show off how smart they are. Creative thinking is also key as well as a sense of humour.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing planning?