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Christine Lagarde
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 19 June 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Jean-Louis Borloo |
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| Born | January 1, 1956 Paris, France  |
| Political party | UMP |
| Alma mater | University of Paris X: Nanterre |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Christine Lagarde (born 1 January 1956) is the current Minister of Finance of France, appointed in June 2007. She was previously Minister of Agriculture and Fishing and Minister of Trade in the government of Dominique de Villepin. Lagarde is the first woman ever to become finance minister of a G8 economy.
Prior to her appointment as Minister of Finance, Lagarde was ranked the 30th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine[1]. A noted antitrust and labour lawyer, Lagarde made history as the first female chairman of the international law firm Baker & McKenzie. She has been awarded France's highest honor, the Légion d'honneur.[2]
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Biography
Lagarde was born in Paris as Christine Lallouette on January 1, 1956, to academic parents. She attended secondary school in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) and at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda (USA). She studied at the Law School of University of Paris X: Nanterre. She later lectured there after graduating. She also has a post-graduate diploma (DESS) in labour law, and a Master’s degree in English.
She worked as an intern at the United States Capitol, as William Cohen's congressional assistant.
She is a champion synchronized swimmer[3] and has two sons.
Baker & McKenzie
Lagarde joined Baker & McKenzie in 1981. In 1987, she was appointed partner. Four years later, she was elected Managing Partner of the Paris office.
Of the law firm, Lagarde said Baker & McKenzie is "a very democratic environment, which values people in terms of their work and their contribution."[4]
She joined the executive committee in 1995 and was elected Chairman in 1999. She implemented a 'client first' mentality and saw a 30 percent rise in the firm's profits during her tenure. She was reelected Chairman in 2002.
Ministerial career
As France's Trade Minister between 2005 and May 2007, Lagarde prioritized opening new markets for the country's products, focusing on the technology sector. On 18 May 2007, she was moved to the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the government of François Fillon. Her finance portfolio in 2007 does not cover the Budget office. The following month she joined François Fillon's cabinet in the Finance Ministry to become the first woman to ever be in charge of economic policy in France.
She has made the controversial statement that France is a country that thinks too much, and that such obsessive thinking prevents reforms from being implemented.[5]
References
- ^ The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World 2006, Forbes.com
- ^ Bio of Christine Lagarde, Embassy of France
- ^ The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World 2006, Forbes.com
- ^ Think Tank: Women To Watch, EuropePWN.com
- ^ New Leaders Say Pensive French Think too Much - NY Times
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| Preceded by Jean-Louis Borloo |
Minister of the Economy and Finance 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
