SHELLEY is the head of HR at Megabank. Ruthless, practical and a stickler for the rules she has had many run-ins with Alex. In 2001 she had an affair with Alex’s boss Rupert. Their clandestine trysts caused the whole department to fear that redundancies, rather than romance, were in the air. Shelley has overseen the regular downsizing programs that investment banks are prone to without even noticeably reducing her own department’s headcount.