Air Canada has 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, will assume his new role by January. He expressed his honor in leading the iconic Canadian company and mentioned his previous experience as the CEO of Avianca and his tenure in various high-level positions in airlines like Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and KLM.
Rousseau decided to retire after 19 years with Air Canada following a controversial English-only condolence statement related to a tragic crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport. The incident involved a collision between a fire truck and Air Canada Express Flight 8646, resulting in the loss of both pilots and injuries to several passengers.
Rousseau faced criticism for his handling of the situation, especially due to his limited French-speaking abilities. His retirement is set for August 31, with the airline’s executive committee managing operations during the transition. Van der Werff’s selection followed a rigorous global search, with proficiency in French being one of the key criteria considered by Air Canada.
Van der Werff, originally from the Netherlands, is fluent in Dutch and has the ability to communicate in French. He also speaks English and has acquired proficiency in Spanish, Italian, and Swedish over the course of his career. The airline’s website features a bilingual message from Van der Werff, emphasizing the importance of serving Canadians in both official languages as a fundamental responsibility of Air Canada.