Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde
	Christine Lagarde
	;
	Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 19 June 2007
Preceded by	Jean-Louis Borloo
Born	1 January 1956 (age 53); Paris, France
Political party	UMP
Alma mater	University of Paris X: Nanterre
Religion	Roman Catholic

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Christine Lagarde (born 1 January 1956) is the current Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry and Employment of France, appointed in June 2007. She was previously Minister of Agriculture and Fishing and Minister of Trade in the government of Dominique de Villepin. Lagarde is the first woman ever to become minister of Economic Affairs of a G8 economy.

In 2006, Lagarde was ranked the 30th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine.^[1] A noted antitrust and labour lawyer, Lagarde made history as the first female chairman of the international law firm Baker & McKenzie. She has been awarded France's highest honor, the Légion d'honneur.^[2]

[edit] Biography

Lagarde was born in Paris as Christine Lallouette to academic parents. She attended secondary school in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) and at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda (USA). She studied at the Law School of University of Paris X: Nanterre. She later lectured there after graduating. She also has a post-graduate diploma (DESS) in labour law, and a Master’s degree in English.

Lagarde worked as an intern at the United States Capitol, as William Cohen's congressional assistant.

Lagarde is a champion synchronized swimmer.^[1] She has two sons.

[edit] Baker & McKenzie

Lagarde joined Baker & McKenzie in 1981. She became president of the executive committee in 1999, and became president of the global strategic committee in 2004.^[3]

Of the law firm, Lagarde said Baker & McKenzie is "a very democratic environment, which values people in terms of their work and their contribution".^[4]

Lagarde joined the executive committee in 1995 and was elected Chairman in 1999. She implemented a "client first" mentality and saw a 30 percent rise in the firm's profits during her tenure. She was reelected Chairman in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

Her personal interest in European affairs lead her to open the European Law Centre, an office of Baker and McKenzie in Brussels exclusively dedicated to the practice of EU Law.

[edit] Ministerial career

As France's Trade Minister between 2005 and May 2007, Lagarde prioritized opening new markets for the country's products, focusing on the technology sector. On 18 May 2007, she was moved to the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the government of François Fillon. Her economic affairs portfolio in 2007 does not cover the Budget office. The following month she joined François Fillon's cabinet in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry and Employment to become the first woman to ever be in charge of economic policy in France.

She has made the controversial statement that France is a country that thinks too much, and that such obsessive thinking prevents reforms from being implemented.^[5]

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, in November 2008 Christine Lagarde stated her determination to make Paris an important center of Islamic finance.^[6]