Paula! Deputy MD really keeps you busy! How long have you been doing what you do for Whitewater? I joined Whitewater in 2004, and was promoted to Deputy MD in spring '07.

What really sticks in your memory from that time? At our last Christmas party I must have had a bit to drink because I decided it would be a great idea to teach Steve A to Ceroc (that's French rock and roll dancing for those who don't know). Well, I tied him in complete knots, and tried to convince him that his wife Claire would love his new found skill. Poor Steve... he just looked scared!

What philosophy do you bring to Whitewater? Don’t bullshit. Honesty and teamwork are really important. Oh, and I really believe that what goes around, comes around.

We want to bribe you: what's the best way? A good bottle of Barolo, or a two week holiday in St Lucia. I prefer the St Lucia option.

Don't blame you. What else do you bring to the company? Having grown up by the seaside, I’m a demon pebble skimmer (record 10 skips). I do a half decent impression of Miss Piggy, and I can dance a bit too.

A really well-rounded suite of talents. How did you acquire these skills? I grew up in an idyllic seaside resort in West Dorset. Went to Uni - business studies – then headed north to the “big smoke”. I worked at Amex for five years client side, then moved to a small mail order consultancy where I really got to grips with the nitty gritty of direct mail (although I hasten to add, commemorative porcelain plates were never something we offered).

I realised I loved client service, so I decided to move agency-side, firstly BHWG for a couple of years then WWAV where I spent 9 years and clocked up experience in a whole range of sectors. It was while working on a large pharaceutical client at WWAV that I started to yearn to go back to working for non-profits and was delighted to be offered this important role at Whitewater.

I've got 18 years DM under my belt (suddenly I feel very old!), in charity, financial services, IT, utilities, mail order, airlines, automotive and pharmaceutical. One of the highlights was being part of the launch team for the NSPCC Full Stop Campaign, and running the Dell Europe account for 3 years (gruelling but great).

That's a lot of know-how. Thanks for finding time to talk to us Paula! You've been great.