Wanted: chairperson for Britain's second-biggest lender; ambitions in investment banking a must; needs a keen sense of diplomacy when dealing with activist investors; ‎enthusiasm for feng shui and guitar-playing welcome but not essential.

Such might have been the recruitment ad placed by Barclays as it sought its fourth chair in seven years. Subject to regulatory approval, the bank has now settled on Nigel Higgins, the Rothschild veteran, as John McFarlane's successor.