In the Telegraph, Anne-Elisabeth Moutet has a fun, amusing, and informative piece on the Woman Who Would Be IMF Director, Christine Lagarde. Check it out. I encountered Mme. Lagarde once, in Davos. I just dug up what I wrote in my online journal that year — not much, but here it is:

The finance minister of France, Christine Lagarde, is an interesting person. In a flavorful French accent, she speaks idiomatic English — including such phrases as “nitty-gritty.” And I learn a couple of unexpected things from her bio: She was once an intern to the Maine politician Bill Cohen. And she is a champion synchronized swimmer.
And, of course, finance minister of France. Beat that, as Bill Buckley would say . . .