Christine Lagarde

The first woman to lead the ECB, Lagarde steered the Eurozone through the post-COVID inflation surge and was the first major central banker to begin cutting rates in June 2024, outpacing the Fed. Her communication style — clear and politically adept — has reshaped how the ECB manages market expectations.

Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde was born on January 1, 1956, in Paris. A competitive synchronised swimmer in her youth, she became a corporate lawyer at Baker McKenzie before entering French politics as Trade Minister (2005) and Finance Minister (2007–2011). She served as IMF Managing Director from 2011 to 2019 before being appointed ECB President. In 2016 she was found guilty (without punishment) of negligence in a French arbitration case.