Air Canada has found its new president and CEO.
As previously reported by Open Jaw and other sources, Air Canada has announced that Anko Van der Werff will become its next President and Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, by the end of January 2027. Van der Werff, currently President and Chief Executive Officer at Scandinavian Airlines, succeeds Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement after 19 years with Air Canada.
“Our Board of Directors was impressed by the quality of experienced executives from around the world who expressed interest in the role,” said Vagn Sørensen, Chair of the Board. “We are delighted to have attracted and recruited an executive of Mr. Van der Werff’s stature to lead Air Canada. He has an exceptional breadth of international aviation experience and a proven 25-year track record, including his most recent forward-looking executive leadership at Scandinavian Airlines, Avianca Group, and Aeroméxico and earlier at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (now Air France-KLM) and Qatar Airways. We are confident he will drive further value-creating growth and transformation while maintaining our commitment to disciplined capital allocation.”
“Air Canada is a globally recognized airline leader. It is an honour to be chosen to lead this iconic Canadian company as it advances its ambitions and strategy, builds on its award-winning employee culture and customer value proposition, and prepares for an even brighter future,” said Anko Van der Werff. “I look forward to working closely with Air Canada’s talented executive team and with all employees to fulfil our commitments to shareholders and customers. I am excited about relocating to Montréal and eager to get started.”
“The Board is grateful to Michael Rousseau for his outstanding leadership and extraordinary contributions, which are in large part responsible for the enviable position Air Canada enjoys among global carriers. We thank him for that legacy and for his support with the transition," Sørensen said.
Officials said the selection of Van der Werff follows a comprehensive global search for the best person to lead Air Canada into the future. The search considered a number of performance criteria, including the ability to communicate in French.
Rousseau was strongly criticized earlier this year after he put out a video expressing his sorrow for a tragic Air Canada crash at La Guardia airport that killed two pilots. The video was almost entirely in English, prompting outrage from Francophones who said Rousseau hadn't delivered on his promise to learn French.
Rousseau’s retirement is effective 31AUG, 2026. He will continue to be available as needed throughout the transition. Following his departure and for the duration of the transition period, the Executive Committee will report to the Board of Directors.
