Lagarde chosen to lead IMF | Biobraphy of Lagarde

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has been chosen to lead the International Monetary Fund. She will become the first female managing director of the global lending organization.

Lagarde's selection became all but assured when the Obama administration endorsed her earlier on Tuesday. Hours later, the IMF's 24-member board voted to appoint her to the position. She had also won support from Europe, China and Russia.

Biography
Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde (born 1 January 1956) is the current Minister of Economic Affairs, Finances and Industry of France, and the designated head of the International Monetary Fund, due to take office on 5 July 2011. She was appointed to her current position by President Nicolas Sarkozy in June 2007. Previously, she was Minister of Agriculture and Fishing and Minister of Trade in the government of Dominique de Villepin. Lagarde was the first woman ever to become minister of Economic Affairs of a G8 economy, and is the first woman to ever head the IMF.