Lagarde 'Ready to Serve' as Next WEF President, Sources Say

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), has expressed her willingness to take on a new role as president of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2027. According to unnamed sources, Lagarde was referred to as a 'putative candidate' for the position during a WEF board meeting near Geneva earlier this week.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore, led the succession discussion and emphasized that the issue should be 'resolved internally.' The current co-chairs of the WEF are Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, and André Hoffmann, Vice Chairman of Roche. They are expected to continue their roles at least until the annual Davos meeting in January.

Lagarde's potential departure from the ECB is linked to her upcoming term expiration in October 2027 after eight years as president. Speculation about her future has been ongoing, partly due to her comments on possibly participating in the French presidential election campaign.