Sometimes excellence is expressed through an outstanding deal or through innovation in financial engineering. And sometimes excellence is demonstrated in more prosaic ways: by delivering a consistent, high-quality service and listening to what the customer wants.

"It might sound a little hokey, but we look to work with our clients on a participatory basis, rather than providing them with an off-the-shelf solution," says Bill Windle, managing director of Houston-based Munich Re Trading. "Our goal