In the summer of 1992, just three years out of Harvard Business School, Reginald J. Mills Jr. joined Credit Suisse First Boston's debt-restructuring squad in New York, which shared a floor with CSFB's Private Finance Group, co-headed by Lloyd Campbell.  Six years ago, Campbell moved to Rothschild to help the venerable investment-banking firm develop its private-capital business, and Mills followed.  Now Mills, 43, runs Rothschild's international private-placement operations in London but still speaks to Campbell, 49, every day.

MILLS:  In investment banking, many people have a public persona.  Not Lloyd.  When we first met, I didn't know who he was.  We started talking in the hall.  I mentioned that I'd been part of a minority-recruitment program, and though Lloyd had been active in recruiting, he'd never heard of it.  For the next decade we ran the summer internship program and started doing a lot of mentoring especially for the minority kids who ended up joining the firm.

CAMPBELL:  What impressed me right away about Reggie was that he seemed mature beyond his years.  He was calm and analytical.  But what really bonded our friendship was the time we spent helping young kids in the business.  It was always very quiet and low-key.  The industry has done a great job getting people of color in the door, but then they have them work for people who don't always know how to relate to them.

MILLS:  Soon after meeting him, I discovered how highly regarded Lloyd is among clients.  When he left for Rothschild, I had to come along.  I knew I still had an incredible amount to learn from him.  A lot of people approach deals in a structured, rote manner.  Lloyd's approach is a little more seat-of-the-pants, but always highly effective.

CAMPBELL:  I've built skills and relationships in the U.S., but Reggie has globalized it.  He's able to look at chaos and remain calm.  Reggie's great at taking the long view and walking through it calmly, step-by-step, almost the way a management consultant might.

MILLS:  Lloyd has taught me to stay below the radar.  He's proud to be the son of a Tuskegee Airman, but he never boasts.  He still lives in Queens and visits his mother regularly.  He's just a very old-school, high integrity guy.  And he never micromanages.