Air Canada announced the appointment of Anko Van der Werff as the next president and CEO, succeeding Michael Rousseau. Van der Werff, currently serving as the president and CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, is set to assume his new role by January. Expressing his excitement, Van der Werff stated, “It is an honor to be chosen to lead this iconic Canadian company as it advances its ambitions and strategy.”
Prior to his current position, Van der Werff held the CEO role at Avianca, a South American airline, and had key roles in Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and KLM. He has also been involved in various international aviation and business organizations.
Rousseau announced his retirement earlier this year after 19 years with Air Canada, following a controversial incident involving an English-only condolence announcement about a fatal crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport. The crash resulted in the tragic deaths of both pilots and injuries to several passengers.
The decision to appoint Van der Werff followed a thorough global search by Air Canada, considering various performance criteria, including proficiency in French. As a native of the Netherlands, Van der Werff is fluent in Dutch and can communicate in French. He is also proficient in English and has acquired Spanish, Italian, and Swedish languages during his career.
Van der Werff emphasized the importance of serving Canadians in both official languages, underscoring it as a fundamental responsibility of the airline. Air Canada’s website provides a bilingual greeting from Van der Werff, reflecting the company’s commitment to linguistic inclusivity.