Lagarde in Line for WEF Presidency

Christine Lagarde, the chief of the European Central Bank, may take over as president of the World Economic Forum in 2027. According to a Swiss newspaper report, she was described as a 'putative candidate' at a board meeting near Geneva this week.

Lagarde said she is 'ready to serve', but no exact timeline for her potential takeover has been determined. The current co-chairs of the WEF's board are Roche vice-chairman André Hoffmann and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who are navigating a leadership transition after founder Klaus Schwab stepped down last year.

The WEF's board did not decide when Lagarde should take over as president, but agreed that Fink and Hoffmann should still chair the annual meeting in Davos in January 2027. This news comes just months before Lagarde's eight-year presidential term at the ECB ends in October 2027.