ZURICH: European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde could assume the WEF presidency in 2027 after indicating that she was “ready to serve,” Swiss newspaper NZZ reported Sunday.
Board members described Lagarde as a potential candidate during a meeting near Geneva in the week ending August 23, according to Reuters.
The newspaper reported that Lagarde thanked members of the World Economic Forum’s 28-member board for their confidence. Lagarde has served several terms on the board.
However, the board did not set a date for the leadership change. Members agreed that interim co-chairs Larry Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), and André Hoffmann, vice-chairman of Roche Holding AG (SIX: ROG), should oversee the Davos meeting in January 2027.
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Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam told the meeting that the board should choose the successors internally because suitable candidates were available, according to the newspaper.
Fink and Hoffmann are managing the forum’s leadership transition after founder Klaus Schwab stepped down in 2025. The World Economic Forum did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Lagarde said in June 2025 that she was determined to complete her eight-year ECB mandate. Her term as president of the eurozone’s central bank expires at the end of October 2027.
