When Ross Mann joined UBS in Zurich, he spent so many weekends trying out the local ski resorts that he decided to take time off and become an instructor. He has just completed an 11-week course with Base Camp Group doing a snowboard instructor course at Val d'Isère and said: "If you are considering doing an instructor course, then do it now."

In fact, one of his former colleagues has already done it. Simon Piney left UBS to became global head of equity capital markets at BNP Paribas, then left investment banking altogether last year to train in Canada to be a ski instructor.