World | Christine Lagarde Lagarde Named Head of IMF Move comes after the US endorsed her By Kevin Spak Posted Jun 28, 2011 7:58 AM CDT Updated Jun 28, 2011 12:47 PM CDT Copied France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, smiles during a press conference of France's President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace, Monday, June 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) Christine Lagarde has officially been named to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn to head the IMF, reports the Washington Post. Lagarde's victory became all but guaranteed after the US endorsed her this morning, giving her the explicit support of more than half the votes on the institution's board, the Wall Street Journal notes. She will be the first woman to head the bank. Most European nations supported Lagarde from the beginning, and Indonesia, Egypt, and several other African nations backed her as well. “We are encouraged by the broad support she has secured,” Tim Geithner said earlier, praising her “exceptional talent and broad experience." But the appointment is likely to draw protests from the developing world, which had hoped to break the informal arrangement that ensures the IMF is always headed by a European and the World Bank by an American, the AP reports. Read These Next Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. Supreme Court gives Trump big win on national injunctions. Get breaking news in your inbox. What you need to know, as soon as we know it. Sign up Report an error