ZURICH/BANGKOK: Christine Lagarde could leave the European Central Bank nearly a year before her term ends to become the next chair of the World Economic Forum, a move that would trigger a wider reshuffle at the top of the ECB.

The WEF's Board of Trustees could appoint Lagarde as soon as next month, four people close to the organisation told Reuters. No final decision has been taken, but Lagarde is seen as having broad support from the board.

The board, which includes Lagarde herself, was due to meet on November 2 and could elect her as its next chair, the people said on condition of anonymity.

A WEF spokesperson said the organisation could not confirm when its next full Board of Trustees meeting would take place, but that it aimed to hold one before the end of the year.

Two of the people said the board could instead set a date for a vote that would allow Lagarde to appear as designated chair at the WEF's annual meeting in Davos in January.

Lagarde's ECB term is scheduled to run until October 2027. An early departure would give European Union leaders an opportunity to choose her successor before the end of French President Emmanuel Macron's term in May.

Lagarde's desire to give Macron a say in her successor was one factor in the timing, a fifth person told Reuters. There is concern in European political circles that negotiations over the ECB presidency could become more difficult if far-right leader Marine Le Pen were to win France's presidential election.

The ECB declined to comment.

Lagarde, who is attending the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok this week, has said she will remain at the ECB until next year but has stopped short of committing to serving until her term formally ends.

Her departure would create a second vacancy on the ECB's six-member Executive Board following Isabel Schnabel's resignation last month. Chief Economist Philip Lane is also due to step down in May.

EU officials say the three appointments could be negotiated as part of a package among member states.

Former Dutch and Spanish central bank governors Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernandez de Cos are seen as frontrunners to succeed Lagarde, while France is understood to be targeting the chief economist position. Germany plans to nominate a candidate to replace Schnabel, according to the people.

The WEF board is currently co-chaired by BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink and Roche Vice Chairman Andre Hoffmann, who took over after founder Klaus Schwab stepped down last year.