Mark Carney flirted with Canadian politics even as he built a career overseas, rejecting offers to join cabinets at least twice.

Then in January, President Trump, threatening tariffs and annexation against Canada, brewed a crisis that seemed tailor-made for one of the world’s most seasoned managers of economic turmoil.

Within weeks, Mr. Carney was prime minister.

Now, he is leading Canada’s Liberal Party into a federal election, vying for a full term in the top political job in his country of birth after decades of high-profile work in the public and private sectors around the world.

Mr. Carney, 60, cuts a slender, athletic figure and is impeccably turned out in tailored suits. His tone can be professorial with occasional flashes of bone-dry humor.

He lacks the obvious charisma of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, who during his heyday made crowds swoon.

And he also lacks the polished, retail-politician presentation of his chief election opponent, Pierre Poilievre, 45, the Conservative Party leader.