Story highlights She's the face of the IMF, but how well do you know her?

Five surprising facts about French financial powerhouse, Christine Lagarde

Says death of her father as a teenager was 'a pivotal moment'

Leading Women connects you to extraordinary women of our time. This month we're celebrating '"Money Women" with a special series looking at the women who control global finance. We start with an in-depth interview with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Foundation (IMF).

(CNN) In a line-up of the world's financial heavyweights, Christine Lagarde commands attention. At almost 6ft tall, with a head of silver hair and year-long tan, the first female to lead the International Monetary Fund instantly stands out in the notoriously masculine world of finance.

When the fifth most powerful woman in the world according to Forbes takes to the stage, journalists make sure their pens are poised. And in a time of economic austerity -- not to mention scandal allegations regarding the IMF's former managing director -- the media spotlight on Lagarde is fierce.

But away from the camera lens, what personal events shaped the 59-year-old financial leader we know today?

Here are five things you might not know about Lagarde.

1.) Her father died of a motor neuron disease when she was a teenager

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