Mark Carney is set to become Canada’s prime minister after winning the Liberal leadership. Here are 10 things to know about him.

Mark Carney will become Canada’s next prime minister after winning the Liberal Party leadership in a landslide with 85.9% of the vote. He replaces Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation earlier this year but continued as an interim leader.

Carney was born on March 16, 1965, in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He has 2 brothers: Sean and Brian, along with a sister called Brenda. Growing up, he wanted to become a hockey player and was a goalie for Laurier Heights.

He attended St Francis Xavier high school, and earned a US scholarship. Carney is a Harvard graduate with a doctorate from Oxford. Growing up with teacher parents in Canada shaped his economic views, leading to his transition from finance to politics.

Carney served as governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 before making history as the first non-British citizen to lead the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, gaining international recognition for his financial expertise.

Carney is married to British-born economist Diana Carney, and they have four daughters. One of their daughters graduated last year from the University of Edinburgh.

Carney later shifted from the finance sector to public service. He cited the transition to one core principle, “Market don’t have values, people do.”

Carney holds Canadian, UK, and Irish citizenship but expressed his intention to eventually hold only Canadian citizenship. Although not legally required, this move is seen as politically necessary to reinforce his commitment to serving Canada as prime minister.

In 2020, Carney became the United Nations’ special envoy for climate action and finance. His focus has been on sustainable finance, pushing for stronger climate policies and working with international institutions to align economic growth with environmental responsibility.

Despite his extensive career in economics and banking, Carney has never held elected office. His transition into politics comes at a turbulent time for Canada, and he now faces the challenge of proving himself as a capable national leader.

Carney took to social media platform X, to express his gratitude for the outgoing Prime minister. “Thank you, Prime Minister Trudeau. For your hard work, for your leadership, and for your great service to our country,” he said.

In the days ahead, Trudeau and the newly appointed Liberal leader will be meeting Canada’s governor general, Mary Simon, King Charles III’s official representative, who will entrust the leader with forming the government.