The chest-pounding traders made famous in Michael Lewis’ Liar’s Poker have no place on Rachel Lord’s team. Citigroup’s global head of corporate equity derivatives – a low-profile, even secretive business within the investment bank – has her own ideas of what kinds of talent and personality make a business sing.

Lord, who has helped develop the unit at the US bank since 2009, said: "It's not flashy. No one brags about their deals because they can't and it's not their nature. It is discreet and I like that.