To many outside Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Andrea Orcel is the consummate banker, known for his international reach and golden Rolodex. But it is his capacity to put in the hard graft to win fresh business that most insiders note.

With two long titles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, as head of emerging markets ex-Asia and executive chairman of global banking and markets, observers believe that a role has been created specially for Orcel to keep him at the bank.