Christine Lagarde – The Most Powerful Woman in Banking

Christine Lagarde has been identified as the second most powerful woman in the world, and most people have no idea who she is.

Ms. Lagarde has been a leader in international banking for more than 20 years. On November 1, 2019 she became the fourth President of the European Central Bank, as a result her signature can now be seen on 5 Euro and 10 Euro banknotes. Eventually all new Euro banknotes will have her ‘C Lagarde’ signature.

Ms. Lagarde’s Brief History

Ms. Lagarde held several ministerial posts in the French government including Minister of Commerce. In addition, she was the first woman to be Finance Minister of a G8 country. In 2011 she held the position of managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and subsequently, the 1^st woman in that role. Christine was commonly on the global stage in both roles as a key driver for globalization. The IMF is an important organization as it is the guarantor of international loans to developing nations and, in addition a leading driver advocating for human rights and broad participation in the economy. 

Lagarde replaced Mario Draghihad when she took the position as the fourth President of the ECB in 2019. The other 2 presidents were Willem J. Duisenberg and Jean-Claude Trichet, again she was the first woman in this role. As many collectors know, a banknote design only changes every 5 to 10 years, but the signature changes when a new President comes in. Only Mario Draghi and Christine Lagarde will be on the new Europa Euro series. Collectors often want all the signatures in a banknote they collect. For Euro collectors, they will soon have the opportunity to add to their collection with the ‘Lagarde series’.

In conclusion, Ms. Lagarde’s role at the ECB, is the breadth and longevity of her career. She remains an idol to woman around the world and evidence of how far the world has come in equality and recognizing the capability of all people.