For over a half century, Cuba and the Castros have gone hand in hand. Often clad in green military fatigues, Fidel ruled the island nation as a dictator, squashing dissent and confronting a superpower just 90 miles away in America. Now, in a historic power shift, a new face is assuming power in Cuba. His name is Miguel Díaz-Canel and he’s been lurking in the background, standing shoulder to shoulder with Fidel and his brother Raúl, and yet all the while, he was slowly moving up the ranks, becoming the country’s vice president in 2013. It’s the first time a non-Castro will be president in more than 40 years. He takes over from Raúl, who succeeded his older brother in 2008. It’s also the first time that someone who wasn’t part of the revolution takes the reins. Raúl Castro had put in place rules that limit a president to two five-year terms. And he’s lived up to that. But Castro is not exactly disappearing. He will continue to head the Communist Party, arguably the most powerful political post in Cuba. So this is a slow changing of the guard. But it signals a huge shift in how Cuba will operate, politically and economically. Unlike the Castros, who established their legitimacy through the communist revolution, Díaz-Canel will have to cement his role by delivering on some much-needed reforms, including fixing the island’s two-currency system. As it stands, there’s both a national currency and another one pegged to the U.S. dollar, effectively barring parts of the population from purchasing certain basic goods and from actively participating in the larger economy. Díaz-Canel also needs to cultivate more opportunities for the country’s restive youth. “I hope that the line that Raúl Castro established a few years ago can be steadily improving and more businesses, more licenses, that’s what I hope.” Díaz-Canel is likely to maintain Cuba’s ties with Russia and China as relations with the U.S. continue to sour. He has also said that he plans to expand access to the internet. But on the question of human rights, like censorship, Cuba’s tight grip is likely to take longer to loosen. So just how did Díaz-Canel emerge in a country whose rulers have had an iron grip on power? He grew up 170 miles east of Havana, in Santa Clara, where he worked as an engineering professor and a local Communist Party leader. From there, he went on to become the youngest-ever member, at 43 years old, of the Politburo, the most powerful body within the Communist Party. He was appointed minister of higher education in 2009 and was handpicked to be vice president in 2013. Experts say he rose by keeping a low profile and toeing the country’s line. And with Raúl keeping close watch over his rule, any change will likely come slow.