Lagarde Mentioned as Potential Candidate for WEF Presidency

Christine Lagarde, the chief of the European Central Bank (ECB), has been mentioned as a potential candidate to lead the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2027. According to Swiss newspaper NZZ, Lagarde was described as a 'putative candidate' at a board meeting near Geneva this week. She reportedly said she was 'ready to serve.'

The WEF's current co-chairs 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. Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam suggested that the succession should be resolved internally, as suitable candidates were available.

Lagarde has been a member of the WEF's board for several terms and thanked its members for their confidence in her. However, no decision was made on when she would take over the presidency. The only point of agreement was that Fink and Hoffmann should still chair the annual meeting in Davos in January 2027.