The FSA said it had taken into account the fact that a number of staff involved in the issue had since left the firm and that it had since made significant improvements in "standards of ethics and professionalism".

BBC: UK slaps record fine on Swiss bank

What is more, good American tabloid journalists seem in scarce supply, probably a result of sharply varying ethics (think puritanical American professionalism versus anything-goes British ruthlessness).

ECONOMIST: Life in the global gutter

Lots of them now offer courses on ethics, surely a key attribute of professionalism.

ECONOMIST: Business schools

And we know we can accomplish our "Goals for a Better Life" if we do it with a passionate, caring, committed group of people working with ethics, values, integrity, transparency, efficiency and professionalism.

WHITEHOUSE: Goals for a Better Life