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John Varley's relationship with Barclays stretches back a quarter of a century, to 1982, when he joined the bank as an assistant director in the investment banking unit.

Known both for his ambition and his favouring of the classic City uniform - bright braces and pinstripe suit - he became group chief executive in 2004.

Educated at Downside and Oxford, Mr Varley married into the business in 1981: his wife is Carolyn Thorn Pease, daughter of Barclays company director Sir Richard Pease, whose family bank became part of Barclays in 1902.

While some analysts argue that Mr Varley has proved himself in the face of suspicions that family connections were behind his rise, that has not stopped critics, notably James Eden at the German brokers Dresdner Kleinwort, countering that "ego and politics" are at the heart of the ABN-Barclays deal.

Beyond Barclays, Mr Varley, 51, is a non-executive director of AstraZeneca, a director of Ascot racecourse, and member of the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He is president of the Employers' Forum on Disability and chairman of Business Action on Homelessness.

Bob Diamond, Barclays - remains President

Robert E. Diamond Jr likes to win. Born in Massachusetts in 1951, Mr Diamond's CV takes in university teaching, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston. He is, famously, the recipient of the ultimate City bonus: last year he scooped a £15.2 million payout for what the bank termed the "exceptional" nature of his contribution.

He moved to London in 1996 and took the helm at Barclays Capital, where his "Alpha plan" - selling off unprofitable sections of the bank's investment business, expanding the workforce and introducing bonuses - has paid handsome dividends. Last year, BarCap generated £2.2 billion in pre-tax profits, 30 per cent of the group total of more than £7 billion. He became an executive director and the bank's president in 2005.

Mr Diamond is a keen sportsman, known for his relaxed leadership style. He is also a Chelsea fan; when he presented the Barclays-sponsored Premiership trophy in 2005 he is reported to have advised the team captain JohnTerry to open a Barclays account.

Mr Diamond's personal stock in Barclays is worth £64.9 million. Despite his enormous wealth and well-documented bonus, he dislikes the interest in his pay packet. Through the Diamond Family Foundation, which he set up with his wife Jennifer, he supports Colby College in Maine, where he studied in the 1970s. With Jennifer, he has three children.

Chris Lucas, Barclays - moves up to Group Finance Director

A new face on the board at Barclays, Chris Lucas became group finance director on April 1 this year.

The move from his role as the bank's senior external auditor, with PricewaterhouseCoopers, to an internal role as finance director, was seen in some quarters as an irritant to investors that hovered close to a potential breach of corporate governance rules.

From 1983 to 2006 he held various roles at PwC, including a three year stint in New York as head of US banking audit practice. His career at PwC was capped with his appointment as global head of banking and capital markets in 2005. He became a global relationship partner with Barclays in 1999.

Mr Lucas, 46, was greeted at Barclays with a £1.1 million golden hello in cash and shares, on top of base pay of £600,000.

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