FN100 most influential people in European capital markets, 2008

For this, the fourth annual list of the 100 most influential people in the European capital markets, we have changed the format slightly. The decision to do this was taken last year in an attempt to reinvigorate the list. We needn’t have bothered.

The tumultuous climate in global financial markets over the past year would have shaken up the list quite enough – at least four people that were shortlisted abruptly departed as we were compiling it.

This year we have broken the list down into 10 sections – representing the main areas of activity within the wholesale financial markets – and picked the top 10 people within each.

Nevertheless, the new format showcases a broader spectrum of finance professionals and highlights the attributes that have allowed them to weather the storm.

• How we chose

Over the past three months, Financial News canvassed the market for opinion and drew up lists within each of the 10 categories – all nominees had to be based in Europe and we excluded central bankers and those in government. Candidates were then marked for influence over their area, leadership within their sector, performance over the past year, and their capacity to shape their business and/or industry over the year to come. The list was then whittled down to 100.

It is by no means definitive, but certainly each of the FN100 wields a big influence over the future of European capital markets, for better or worse.