The Brief: Lagarde's route to the ECB
Comments
It was French President Nicolas Sarkozy who, in 2011, catapulted his finance minister Christine Lagarde to the IMF helm and onto the world stage.
Sarkoyzy had to act fast.
Incumbent Dominique Strauss-Kahn had quit over sexual harassment allegations.
Just a month after taking office, her time as finance minister already cast a shadow over her Washington tenure.
A French court ordered an investigation into Lagarde's involvement in the financial scandal involving businessman Bernard Tapie.
FIve years later she was found guilty of negligence, but the judge declined to impose a penalty.
At the IMF, her leadership style was described as charismatic and driven.
She would not let the IMF participate in a resuce package for Greece, but steered the Fund to a $50+ billion bailout of Argentina, which is now in danger of faltering.
Most recently, she has warned of the dangers of trade and currency wars between the US and China.
Lagarde at the helm of the ECB? Its current president Mario Draghi called her "an outstanding choice".