Q&A: M&C Saatchi CEO Angela Hsu is in the hot seat

What is your current state of mind?
Peaceful anticipation.

What is your greatest fear?
Hard to control situations, such as when my flight was cancelled because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
One-dimensional thinking.

Who is your hero? Why?
Antoni Gaudi - original, persistent, and passionate.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Patience.

On what occasion do you lie?
Never.

Name one thing about yourself that few people know.
I am a closet piano fanatic.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Right, right, right...

What talent would you most like to have?
It changes - depending on the situation.

What's your most evocative childhood memory?
A wonderful close and liberal family life.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Leading a creative, people-focussed business of which I am intensely proud.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Tenacity.

Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?
Coco Chanel - understated and unafraid of being before her time.

What makes you happy?
Getting better and better.

When did you last cry and why?
Two or three weeks ago... finally I had time to.

What is your greatest regret?
Putting off learning the piano.

If your office was burning down, what object would you save?
Matches.

What would you do if you were invisible for the day?
Dress up.

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
A person doing their best.

What's your best joke?
Two hunters are in the woods when one of them falls clutching his chest. He doesn't seem to be breathing. The other guy calls the emergency service:
"My friend is dead! What should I do?" The operator says: "Take it easy. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a short silence and then a shot is heard. The guy comes back on the line and says to the operator: "OK, now what?"

This article was originally published in the 17 June 2010 issue of Media.