Air Canada announced the appointment of Anko Van der Werff as the incoming president and CEO. Van der Werff, currently serving as the president and CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, is set to assume his new position by January. Expressing his gratitude, Van der Werff stated that he is honored to lead the renowned Canadian company as it progresses with its goals and strategies.
Prior to his current role, Van der Werff held the position of CEO at Avianca, a South American airline, and has extensive experience in leadership roles at Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and KLM. Additionally, he has been actively involved on the boards of various international organizations within the aviation and business sectors.
Van der Werff will be taking over from Michael Rousseau, who announced his retirement earlier this year after a 19-year tenure at Air Canada. Rousseau’s retirement came following a controversial incident where he issued an English-only condolence statement regarding a tragic crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport, resulting in criticism and scrutiny.
The appointment of Van der Werff followed a rigorous 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 can communicate effectively in French. He is also proficient in English and has acquired knowledge of Spanish, Italian, and Swedish over the course of his career.
In response to the language requirements, Air Canada’s website offers both English and French versions of a welcoming message from Van der Werff. In his statement, Van der Werff emphasized the significance of serving Canadians in both official languages, considering it a fundamental duty of the airline.