Hernan Cristerna has a clear target for his team of mergers and acquisitions bankers at JP Morgan – to generate more revenues than their rivals. The 46-year-old head of European M&A can afford to be demanding, having led by example when he ran the bank’s consumer practice.

Then the Spaniard secured clients such as French drinks company Pernod Ricard and Belgium's InBev working on deals that turned them into global players. Cristerna said: "We want to be at the forefront of providing a value-added service and that means helping clients crystallize their most ambitious plans and strategies."