The PB interview - Bill Cooper: Bright light in the gloom

Andrew Tjaardstra meets Bill Cooper, managing director for insurance in the financial institutions division at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets. Despite being cautious about prospects for brokers as the UK's economic malaise continues, the firm is very much open for business.

Banks and bankers aren't exactly popular at the moment: many will be feeling the heat as they continue to try to untangle themselves from billions of pounds of debt signed off in the good times that needs to be refinanced in the next few years.

Lloyds TSB was seen as one of the prudent banks in the boom years; its chief executive officer Eric Daniels was often criticised as too conservative. This all changed when he decided to help rival HBOS out of a tight spot, with encouragement from the