Profile: Naguib Kheraj

'As a finance director you have to operate at more of an even keel'

Naguib Kheraj was always an unlikely finance director but even so was highly regarded by the investment community.

By trade, he was a dealmaker at what was Salomon Brothers but ended up being promoted to chief financial officer at the Wall Street firm which was fighting to survive after the US treasury bond scandal.

Softly spoken and seemingly unflappable, Kheraj joined Barclays in 1998. Colleagues at Barclays have admitted they can tell when the 42-year-old is getting angry when he speaks even more quietly than usual.

In an interview with the Guardian last year, he admitted that the job did not suit his "personal biorhythm".

"I was very happy as a corporate finance banker doing 130 hours for a few weeks and then dossing around for a few days. As a finance director you can't do that, you have to operate at more of an even keel.

"I've learnt to cope with it but my personal biorhythm means that I have days that are hugely productive and days that are not. When I'm feeling unproductive it's best not to fight it, so I do things I can do when I'm in that frame of mind".

Kheraj is a Muslim and a member of the Ismaili community. He was born in London but grew up in east Africa, Switzerland, Pakistan and the Middle East.

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