France’s Economy Minister Christine Lagarde addresses a news conference in Nanjing in this March 31, 2011 file photo. Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund, the IMF said in a statement, as he faces charges of sexual assault and attempted rape. The post has traditionally gone to a European, but with emerging market economies playing a greater role in the world economy, there is rising pressure to throw open the process to all member countries. If the post does end up going to a European, Lagarde, 55, looks like a top candidate and it would make her the first woman to head the institution. A medal-winning member of France’s synchronized swimming team as a teenager and the first female chairman of U.S. Law firm Baker MacKenzie, Lagarde won respect in the markets during the global financial crisis and helped promote France’s negotiating clout in key forms like the Group of 20. REUTERS/Aly Song/Files (CHINA – Tags: HEADSHOT POLITICS BUSINESS)
