Sir Martin Sorrell Speaks

I found Sir Martin Sorrell's Annual Lecture at the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers in Stationers' Hall last evening quite riveting. He spoke for three quarters of an hour with just a few bullet points for notes, and held my attention completely. He describes the BRIC countries; Brazil, India, China and Russia 'when the oil price rises again,' as tigers of the future, because, he says, 'they have saved better' than Western European economies. Regarding Britain, France, Germany, and what Sir Martin calls the other 'big spenders' of Europe, he feels the outlook is gloomy.

The WPP Chief Executive describes himself as a China bull, and talked extensively not only of the growth potential of that country but also of the possibilities for his own company there.

Sir Martin was one of TIME magazine's 100 people most likely to influence our lives in 2005. I managed to be the first questioner of the evening, and I asked him which two world leaders he would choose to ask questions of at the forthcoming G20 Summit in London. I'll let you know what he answered when I get there myself in a couple of weeks.