Mark Carney has been named as a replacement for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday.
The 59-year-old was chosen by the Liberal Party after Trudeau announced his resignation in January, but remains prime minister until a successor is chosen and sworn in.
Election laws mandate a general election before autumn, but one is expected this spring.
Carney navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada and when in 2013 he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694.
His appointment won bipartisan praise in the UK after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis faster than many other countries.
The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged.
Donald Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st US state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games.
Some are canceling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.
The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in a parliamentary election expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving steadily in opinion polls.
“We have made this the greatest country in the world and now our neighbours want to take us. No way,” Carney said.
After decades of bilateral stability, the vote on Canada’s next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States.
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