A career as a holistic adviser

Paul Reynolds has seen his share of collapses. His first was at the investment bank Barings in February 1995. Disappointed about their bonuses, Mr Reynolds and his colleagues complained to the directors, who convened in a separate room and never came back. A day later, Barings was bankrupt following huge losses by an individual trader.

Thirteen years later, in September last year amid the world financial crisis, the 41-year-old investment banker had just been promoted to lead Rothschild’s equity and debt advisory in the Middle East. He arrived to a makeshift office in Dubai. “I had nothing in my office, no news terminal, nothing. The world around me was collapsing and I could not follow it on a screen.”

Through these ups and downs, Mr Reynolds has found a way to anchor his banking practice through skills he honed in his 30-plus years sailing: patience, an attention to detail and an ability to think on his feet.