Feb 21, 2019

Leading the IMF is like being a firefighter and an architect

The snow delayed our interview with International Monetary Fund Managing Director and Chairwoman Christine Lagarde, and by the time we sat down this morning, there was a lot to talk about: rising inequality, being a woman in finance and President Trump's trade war with China. “I cross my fingers every morning and my toes every evening," she said. "Because I hope that it is going to end up with a way to fix the system, not break it." Then: Why law schools are closing and the the finances behind that broken Nike shoe.

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IMF's Christine Lagarde: a firefighter and an architect

by Kai Ryssdal

Feb 21, 2019

The International Monetary Fund managing director on her dual role, the rise of inequality, the repercussions of the global trade war and women in finance.

Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, during the IMF and the World Bank Group 2018 spring meetings in Washington, D.C., in 2018.

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

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The snow delayed our interview with International Monetary Fund Managing Director and Chairwoman Christine Lagarde, and by the time we sat down this morning, there was a lot to talk about: rising inequality, being a woman in finance and President Trump’s trade war with China. “I cross my fingers every morning and my toes every evening,” she said. “Because I hope that it is going to end up with a way to fix the system, not break it.” Then: Why law schools are closing and the the finances behind that broken Nike shoe.