Air Canada has announced Anko Van der Werff as the incoming president and CEO, set to assume the position in January. Van der Werff, currently holding the same role at Scandinavian Airlines, expressed his honor in leading the renowned Canadian company towards its goals and strategies.
Prior to his current position, Van der Werff served as the CEO of Avianca in South America and held executive roles in airlines such as Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and KLM. He has also been involved in various international aviation and business organizations.
Van der Werff’s appointment follows the retirement announcement of Michael Rousseau, who had been with Air Canada for 19 years. Rousseau faced criticism earlier in the year for issuing an English-only condolence statement after a fatal crash at New York’s LaGuardia airport involving an Air Canada flight.
The controversy surrounding Rousseau’s language choice sparked backlash, leading to his appearance before the official languages committee in Ottawa. This was not the first time Rousseau faced language-related criticism, as he had previously been urged to improve his French proficiency by government officials.
Expressing regret for the distraction caused by the language issue, Rousseau acknowledged his ongoing efforts to enhance his French skills but admitted his limitations in effectively communicating in the language. His retirement will be effective on August 31, with the airline’s executive committee handling responsibilities during the transition period.
Van der Werff’s selection followed a thorough global search process that emphasized various performance criteria, including proficiency in French. As a native Dutch speaker, Van der Werff is capable of communicating in French, alongside his fluency in English and proficiency in Spanish, Italian, and Swedish.
Air Canada’s website provides both English and French versions of the announcement, underscoring Van der Werff’s commitment to serving Canadians in both official languages as a fundamental responsibility of the airline.
