Fischer’s Age, Nationality Are Hurdles in Bid for IMF Post

Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, who helped the International Monetary Fund end crises in Mexico, Russia and Southeast Asia, faces the dual hurdles of age and nationality in his quest for the lender’s top job.

Fischer, 67, the IMF’s first deputy managing director from 1994-2001, joins French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde and Mexican central bank chief Agustin Carstens in the race to succeed Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned last month after he was charged with attempted rape, as managing director. Strauss-Kahn has pleaded not guilty.