Christine Lagarde is the first woman to hold the top job at the international lending organization. She was chosen after her predecessor, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, resigned in May to fight charges that he sexually assaulted a New York City hotel housekeeper.
Lagarde is under pressure to address the IMF's reputation as a melting pot of international elites - one that was known for male-dominated clubbiness well before the scandal.
Lagarde says in a news conference: "The value of diversity is top on my list of priorities It's not just gender diversity, it's about culture, it's about academic background."
