Air Canada's New CEO
Air Canada names Anko van der Werff, SAS chief, as new CEO, emphasizing global experience.
Key Points
Rousseau’s retirement will take effect on August 31, and Air Canada plans to begin the process to appoint SAS's successor as part of a broader cross-border leadership transition.
Anko van der Werff joined SAS in 2021 during the pandemic and led a comprehensive restructuring that included bankruptcy protection and a shift toward SkyTeam, guided in part by the influence of Air France-KLM.
SAS is partially owned by Air France-KLM, a factor in the cross-border leadership dynamics surrounding Air Canada’s succession planning.
Air Canada has named Anko van der Werff, the CEO of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), as its next President and CEO, according to Global News. Van der Werff will take the helm by the end of January 2027 and will join Air Canada's board of directors. He replaces Michael Rousseau, who is retiring after 19 years with the airline.
The appointment ends a long global search — one shaped heavily by language politics. Rousseau drew fierce criticism after delivering an English-only condolence message following a fatal crash at LaGuardia Airport, as Yahoo Finance reported. Air Canada made clear that speaking French was a core requirement for the next CEO.
Rousseau's English-Only Gaffe Drove the French Requirement
Rousseau faced intense backlash from francophone lawmakers and the public after posting a condolence message only in English following a fatal crash. For a Montreal-based national carrier in a bilingual country, the optics were damaging. Rousseau had previously acknowledged he did not speak French despite leading the airline for years. He announced his intention to retire shortly after the controversy.
Air Canada stressed that bilingual capability was built into the CEO search criteria from the start. Van der Werff speaks Dutch, English, and French, and plans to relocate to Montreal. Head Topics reported that Air Canada confirmed he can serve Canadians in both official languages — a direct answer to the criticism Rousseau faced.
Van der Werff Led SAS Through Bankruptcy and Reinvention
Van der Werff joined SAS in 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic. He guided the airline through bankruptcy protection and a major strategic shift — moving SAS from the Star Alliance to the SkyTeam alliance. That shift brought SAS closer to Air France-KLM, which now partly owns the Scandinavian carrier, according to Live and Let's Fly.
His track record spans some of the world's most complex airline turnarounds. Before SAS, he held leadership roles at Avianca, Aeroméxico, KLM, and Qatar Airways. Air Canada's board said that global experience was a key reason he was chosen to lead the carrier through its next phase of growth.
Rousseau Exits August 31 as Cross-Border Transition Begins
Rousseau's retirement takes effect on August 31. Air Canada said it will begin the process to find a new CEO for SAS as part of a broader leadership transition. The dual search reflects the ownership ties between Air Canada, SAS, and Air France-KLM — a web of cross-border stakes that makes the handover more complex than a typical CEO change.
Bigger Strategic Questions Still Loom for Air Canada
Industry watchers say the hire brings an outsider's eye to Air Canada at a critical moment. Live and Let's Fly noted that analysts are watching closely whether van der Werff will push aggressive expansion or pull back toward disciplined spending. SAS was a lean, restructured airline. Air Canada is a far larger operation with different pressures.
Van der Werff steps into a role that now carries a clear symbolic weight. Air Canada is Canada's flag carrier, based in Montreal, in a country with two official languages. His ability to speak French is not just a political checkbox — it is, as Yahoo News Canada framed it, the defining story of why he got the job.
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