Canada's Next PM Has a Notable First on His Resume

He is the first person to run two G7 central banks, in Canada and in London
Posted Mar 10, 2025 8:38 AM CDT
Canada's New PM Was 'George Clooney of Central Banking'
Liberal Party leader Mark Carney smiles as he delivers his victory speech in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, March 9, 2025.   (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Mark Carney easily won the race within his Liberal Party to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada's prime minister, and the transfer of power will become official in the coming days at his swearing-in ceremony. The 59-year-old is a relative novice to politics but has a long career in finance, and he's also making clear that he's game for a fight with President Trump on tariffs and statehood. Coverage:

  • Carney previously ran the Bank of Canada and the Bank of London (the first non-Brit to do so), becoming the first person to run two G7 central banks, reports Reuters. He also spent 13 years at Goldman Sachs.

  • In his victory speech, Carney emphatically declared that "America is not Canada, and Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form." He added: "We didn't ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves," per USA Today. The hockey reference comes naturally: He played college-level hockey as a goalie.
  • In recent years, he has made clean energy and climate policies central to his political message, per CNN. Trudeau instituted an unpopular carbon tax, and Carney wants to shift its financial burden from consumers to large corporations. The New York Times describes him as a "centrist technocrat," noting that he has pledged to reverse a hike in the capital gains tax.
  • Politico rounds up 55 factoids about Carney, including that he was once called "the "George Clooney of central banking" (though he joked the bar was "very low") and that he has never held public office. The list ends with a quote from Carney's own book, Value(s): "Be humble. However grand you are today or may become tomorrow, you too will be forgotten."
(More Canada stories.)

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