Another European topping the list is Axel Weber, who led the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank, from 2004 to 2011. He built his reputation on being a financial “hawk,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
Mr. Weber was a front-runner to take over leadership of the European Central Bank until he dropped out of the running earlier this year and resigned from his post at the Bundesbank. That move hurt his previously strong relationship with Chancellor Angela Merkel (although rumor is he may still be her favorite for the job, if not Lagarde).
As Time Magazine notes, Weber could also be an “awkward choice” because of Germany’s hard-line stance on bailouts, which remain the biggest issue for the IMF.
