Air Canada announced the appointment of Anko Van der Werff as the incoming president and CEO. Van der Werff, who currently holds the position of president and CEO at Scandinavian Airlines, is set to assume his new role by January. Expressing his gratitude, Van der Werff stated, “It is an honor to be selected to lead this renowned Canadian company as it pursues its goals and strategies.”
Prior to his current role, Van der Werff served as the CEO of Avianca, a South American airline, and held various senior positions at Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and KLM, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile. Additionally, he has contributed to international aviation and business organizations in advisory roles.
Van der Werff will succeed Michael Rousseau, who announced his retirement earlier this year after a 19-year tenure at Air Canada. Rousseau’s retirement followed a controversial incident involving an English-only condolence statement related to a tragic crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport, resulting in the death of both pilots and injuries to several passengers.
The decision to appoint Van der Werff followed an extensive global search process by Air Canada, focusing on specific performance criteria, including proficiency in French. Van der Werff, a native of the Netherlands, is fluent in Dutch and has the ability to communicate in French. He also possesses proficiency in English, Spanish, Italian, and Swedish.
As part of the transition, Air Canada’s executive committee will report to the board of directors until Van der Werff assumes his new position. The airline’s website features messages from Van der Werff in both English and French, emphasizing the importance of bilingual service to Canadians as a core responsibility of the airline.
