Age: 56
Occupation: Managing director, International Monetary Fund
When elected IMF chief in July 2011 after a sexual-assault case toppled predecessor Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Lagarde faced two formidable tasks: restoring harmony and focus to the organization's traumatized staff and mobilizing its forces — and hundreds of billions of dollars in loans — to aid international efforts to overcome the European debt crisis threatening the global economy. Lagarde's remarkable progress on both fronts is likely to earn her a distinction in history beyond that of being the IMF's first female director.