Who: David Levin
Age: 25
Has Held Title For: 1 year
Previous Title: Information-technology consultant
Degree: BS in industrial engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Like unicorns or the Loch Ness monster, consultants with a sense of humor are rumored to exist, but there's never been any real proof that they do — until now. David Levin, Minister of Comedy at Ernst & Young — and a former consultant — plays court jester at E&Y's New York City headquarters, where he creates videos for large company gatherings on such side-splitting topics as long-term goals, risk management, and knowledge sharing.
How did you win your appointment?
It turned out that I had a higher aptitude for making fun of what we do than for actually doing it.
When did you realize you were funny?
In fifth grade. I wasn't popular, but by doing voices, I could make people laugh.
Does your job represent a milestone for class clowns everywhere?
Even in sixth grade, I assumed that I was going to have to get serious at some point. I said to myself, "All right, this is the big time. We're going to do long division now." But I never had to get serious, after all!
A version of this article appeared in the October 1998 issue of Fast Company magazine.
