Man with Asda habit v the Quiet American

Andy Hornby was just 39 when he took over from veteran banker Sir James Crosby as chief executive of the Halifax, Bank of Scotland group HBOS two years ago.

Despite his constant grin, it has not been the easiest two years in which to run Britain's biggest mortgage lender. In March he had to fight off an attack on the share price by short-sellers and in the summer saw its price collapse during a £4billion fund-raising shares issue.

Snobs in the banking world sneer about Mr Hornby's career history including his MBA from Harvard, an early job with cement group Blue Circle but particularly his four-year stint at Asda. Grocers don't run banks.

Hornby joined Halifax to run its retail division in 1999 and when it merged to form HBOS he came out top of the pile. He was made chief operating officer in 2005 after the bank paid him a £2 million bonus to stop him joining Boots.

He still keeps an eye on the High Street with a non-executive directorship at the Argos to Homebase group Home Retail. He was paid £1.9 million last year.

Hornby is married to Cathy, whom he met at Oxford, and they have a son and a daughter. He supports Bristol City and is a fanatical marathon runner.

ERIC DANIELS, 57, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF LLOYDS TSB

Daniels was parachuted in to run Lloyds TSB's retail banking business in 2001 after the Black Horse was becoming better known as the black nag and its takeover of Scottish Widows was seen as hugely overpriced.

The 57-year-old American became chief executive of Lloyds TSB two years later and is feted for having kept the bank strictly out of the risky world of investment banking while growing its retail and commercial banking presence across Britain.

Since reaching the top Daniels has surrounded himself with bright people from rival banks. His first major recruit was Terri "the human cyclone" Dial who, like him, ran the retail business but returned to the US this spring, handing over to the home-grown Helen Weir.

Daniels has been dubbed the Quiet American by his fellow bankers. Laid-back with a Montana drawl, it is easy to miss the hard-edged determination which has kept Lloyds out of much of the credit crisis. Married with one teenage son, he drives a classic silver Jaguar and was paid £2.4 million last year. His favourite pastime is fly fishing.