Education: Master of Arts, Institut d''etudes politiques d''Aix-en-Provence
Marital Status: Single
Children: 2
Profile
The first woman to run the 188-country financial organization has spent
much of her first two years on the job battling the debt crisis in
Europe and calling for ailing global economies to accelerate steps for
stable growth. Her push for debt-sharing between EU nations and an
increase in rescue funds has faced resistance from Angela Merkel,
chancellor of Germany. French-born Lagarde was a labor and
antitrust attorney in the U.S. before a six-year stint as French
finance minister; rumor has it she may make a run for the French
presidency. Most recently, Lagarde issued a stark warning to the U.S.,
urging it to raise its congressionally-mandated debt ceiling.
