Paul Rushton-Clarke, the 455th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, doesn’t like baked beans or chickpeas, I discovered. But he is fond of oranges. 

If two people had to divide an orange, most would opt to cut it in half, Paul says. But if they asked about each other’s goals, they might discover that one wanted to make juice and the other an orange cake – in which case it would make more sense for the first person to get all the flesh and the second person the rind. 

Paul has found that if you take the time to get to know other people, you open yourself up to ideas and possibilities that would never have occurred to you.

Paul is the chief commercial officer of the Australian and New Zealand arm of WPP, the world’s largest advertising company. He oversees various components including their properties, commercial relationships, training and even ESG. That might sound surprising if you knew of Paul’s background, in accounting. However, Paul’s strength has never been technical matters like preparing tax returns; rather, it’s been the ability to build relationships and see the stories that lie behind the numbers. In other words, more EQ than IQ.

Back in 2006, Paul decided to move from his native London to Sydney. If Paul had been a hard-headed accountant, he would’ve stayed put, because he had a successful career, he owned a house and he had a strong social network. But he felt he’d be able to enjoy a higher quality of life in Australia. So he quit his job, sold his home and moved to the other side of the world.

During his two decades in Sydney, Paul has gotten married, had kids and – after learning to swim – become a surf lifesaver. Despite his inflexible aversion to baked beans and chickpeas, Paul is an adventurous, open-minded person.