The World Economic Forum (WEF) is continuing efforts to recruit European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde as its next chair, according to a Bloomberg report.
Lagarde has indicated a willingness to take the role but has set a condition: that lingering tensions between the WEF and its founder, Klaus Schwab, must be fully resolved. Schwab stepped down from the WEF in April 2025 following allegations of financial misconduct, which were later dismissed in an investigation. The rift between Schwab and the organization, however, has persisted.
The WEF declined to comment on the report, as did the ECB. Lagarde has not publicly committed to completing her current term at the ECB, which is scheduled to end in October 2027. She is already a member of the WEF’s board of trustees.
The WEF’s leadership transition has been marked by recent upheaval. Roche Vice Chairman André Hoffmann and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink currently co-chair the forum, while Alois Zwinggi serves as interim chief executive following the resignation of former President Borge Brende in February. Brende stepped down after reports of his past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light.
Meanwhile, potential candidates to succeed Lagarde at the ECB are positioning themselves. Among those mentioned are former Dutch central bank governor Klaas Knot, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, and Bank for International Settlements General Manager Pablo Hernández de Cos.
