Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, who recalled hosting Canadian Prime Minister designate Mark Carney when he was the Governor of the Bank of England, has described him as "cerebral man, with a great sense of humour" and a no-nonsense, plain-speaking guy".
The meeting occurred in 2017 at Mahindra's headquarters in Mumbai, part of a delegation led by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer.
"It’s going to be an incredibly challenging assignment in today’s times—to put it mildly! But if anyone is up to the task, he is. I wish him good fortune," Mahindra shared on X late on Wednesday. During their meeting, Mahindra and Carney chose to exchange travel stories rather than discuss serious economic matters.
The personal insight comes as Carney prepares to step into the challenging role of leading Canada at a time when tensions with Washington continue over its trade policies.
Who is Mark Carney?
Mark Carney, at 59, is set to officially take office as Canada's Prime Minister following Justin Trudeau's resignation. An economist and banker who has served in top financial leadership roles globally, Carney was born in 1965. He earned degrees from Harvard University and the University of Oxford before beginning his career at Goldman Sachs. Later, he transitioned to public service.
He served as Governor of the Bank of Canada (2008–2013), where he was credited with steering Canada through the 2008 financial crisis with relatively minimal damage. He later became the Governor of the Bank of England (2013–2020), making history as the first non-British citizen to hold the role.
Carney has been a strong advocate for climate-focused finance and sustainable investing. Since leaving the Bank of England, he has worked as UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and advised financial institutions on green finance policies.
One of the key challenges Carney will face involves the strained trade relations between Canada and the US. The current tensions stem from a 25 per cent tariff imposed by the US on steel and aluminium imports, to which Canada has responded with retaliatory tariffs.