Brushing aside established norms, Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific boss Miles Young has tapped into a market that defies control and categorisation
JUDGED SOLELY ON appearances, Miles Young is not the stereotypical advertising executive. Dressed in a chequered shirt and cords rather than the ubiquitous sharp dark suit, the British chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific looks more like a university academic than a media mogul.
A glance around Mr Young's Peak home does little to alter the perception with its neat piles of art magazines, impeccable antique furniture and the beginnings of a collection of Chinese sculptures.
And then there is the black 'guard' dog, whose slightly fearsome looks hide the softest of characters. How many would think to name him 'Coluche', after the French comedian famous first for his biting satire against the establishment but later for his tireless work for the homeless?
Understanding that all is not always as it seems is something Mr Young first learnt as a history student in Oxford and a principle he adamantly maintains is just as applicable in his chosen profession.
'History is an unbelievable training in how to weigh up evidence,' he said. 'You're looking at the same event but from different angles and perspectives, with layers of documentary evidence ... It makes you realise that whenever you are confronted with a situation, you have to probe beneath the surface and understand why. If you're given a point of view, you have to assess it in the context of other points of view.'