Air Canada announced the appointment of Anko Van der Werff as the incoming president and CEO. Van der Werff, the current president and CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, is set to assume his new role by January. Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity, Van der Werff stated that he is honored to lead the esteemed Canadian airline as it pursues its goals and strategies.
Prior to his current position, Van der Werff held the CEO position at Avianca, a South American airline, and held prominent roles at Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and KLM. His professional background also includes serving on the boards of international aviation and business organizations.
Van der Werff will succeed Michael Rousseau, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 19 years at Air Canada. Rousseau’s retirement followed a controversy related to an English-only condolence message issued following a tragic runway crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport, which claimed the lives of both pilots and injured several passengers.
Rousseau faced backlash for his language choices, especially from French-speaking Canadians, prompting parliamentary involvement and criticism from political figures. This incident was not the first time Rousseau was criticized for his lack of French proficiency, with previous instances highlighting the need for improvement.
In response to the criticism, Rousseau expressed regret for the distraction caused by his language skills and acknowledged his ongoing efforts to enhance his French fluency. Despite these efforts, he acknowledged his limitations in expressing himself adequately in French.
Rousseau’s retirement is effective on August 31, with the airline’s executive committee overseeing operations during the transition period. Van der Werff’s selection followed a thorough global search process, with proficiency in French being a key consideration among other performance criteria.
Van der Werff, a native of the Netherlands, is fluent in Dutch and possesses communication skills in French. Additionally, he is proficient in English and has acquired proficiency in Spanish, Italian, and Swedish over the course of his career.
The Air Canada website features a bilingual greeting from Van der Werff, emphasizing the airline’s commitment to serving Canadians in both official languages as a fundamental responsibility.