Mark Carney has held many significant roles in his career, being the only person to hold the positions of central bank governor in two different countries.
However, he has never held elected office – an unusual situation for the man who will soon become Canada's 24th prime minister.
Carney won the Liberal Party leadership race yesterday evening, which began after the resignation of longtime Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with an impressive 85.9 per cent of the vote.
His supporters argue that his economic instincts are just what is needed to combat tariffs and broader threats, including annexation, from neighbors to the south.
In his victory speech yesterday, Carney said: “Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country.”
“Think about it. If they get this, they will destroy our way of life.”
It was an unusual statement from Canada's new prime minister, but there is no doubt he will face a host of unusual challenges in the coming weeks.
In addition to the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump last week, Carney also faces a federal election in Canada that could see him removed from office almost as quickly as Liz Truss was.
What is Mark Carney's background?
Mark Carney was born in the remote town of Fort Smith in Canada's Northwest Territories, far enough north that it wasn't completely dark on the summer solstice.
He soon moved south to Edmonton, Alberta, where he grew up. Carney remains a devoted fan of the local hockey team, the Oilers.
In February 2008, he was appointed the new governor of the Bank of Canada, just as global markets were in the midst of a financial crisis.
Five years later, he was elected governor of the Bank of England – the first foreigner to hold the job in the UK central bank’s 320-year history – and held the job through the Brexit period.
In 2015, a TV show about Eamonn Holmes puzzled Carney by calling him the “George Clooney” of the central bank, to which the then governor responded: “That's a very low bar.”
After his resignation in March 2020, he became an adviser to the UK Prime Minister on climate finance, but never stood for elected office.
The lack of a seat in Parliament will make it difficult for him to carry out his duties in the top job unless, as expected, he calls an election soon after taking over from Trudeau.
Only one person has ever become prime minister of Canada without being a member of parliament: John Turner, who took over after the resignation of Justin Trudeau's father.
Turner lasted only 79 days before announcing his imminent takeover and suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the Progressive Conservatives, a fate Carney hopes to avoid.
Who are Mark Carney's daughters?
Mark Carney met his English wife Diana when they were both members of the Oxford University Hockey Club.
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Sourse: metro.co.uk
