It feels like there is precious little Christmas cheer to go round in the City of London this year, but as Dickens urged in A Christmas Carol, it is at times like this we should remember those less fortunate than ourselves.

In that spirit, Financial News looks at the people who have had a particularly tough past couple of months. We salute the unsung heroes of the financial markets; those who have juggled to mollify angry clients or wrestle with impossible-to-value assets in an atmosphere of panic.