‘Women don’t bring their egos into boardrooms’

French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has said that when it comes to matters of business or public life, women “inject less libido” and are less egocentric than men.

French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has said that when it comes to matters of business or public life, women “inject less libido” and are less egocentric than men.

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“I think we — we inject less libido, less testosterone... less testosterone into the equation,” said Lagarde, who was in Washington for the IMF and World Bank meetings.

“It helps in the sense that we don’t necessarily project our own egos into cutting a deal — making our point across, convincing people, reducing them to, you know, a partner that has lost in the process,” she said.

“I’m sure that there are women that operate exactly like men,” she said. “But in the main, and having had nearly 30 years of professional life... I honestly believe that there is a majority of women in such positions that approach other people in the business relationship in a slightly different manner.”

Lagarde is a lawyer and former CEO who was ranked the 43rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine this year.