The chief executive of Calyon, the investment banking arm of France's Crédit Agricole, could reportedly be forced to step down after just nine months in the role as anger grows over the extent of the group's exposure to the credit crisis.

According to French daily Le Monde, the departure of Marc Litzler, who ran Calyon’s global capital markets and brokerage division before his promotion last July, may be approved at a board meeting on Thursday.