Air Canada announced Anko Van der Werff as its next president and chief executive officer, and a member of the Board, who will assume that position at the end of January 2027.
Van der Werff succeeds Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement in March of this year after 19 years with the company, following an accident involving one of the airline’s planes at LaGuardia Airport in New York, and the controversy he caused by announcing his condolences only in English.
Vagn Sørensen, chairman of the firm’s board, mentioned that this change will drive growth and transformation to generate more value, while maintaining its commitment to a disciplined allocation of capital.
“Our Board of Directors was impressed by the quality of experienced executives from around the world who expressed interest in the position. We are delighted to have attracted and recruited an executive of Van der Werff’s caliber to lead Air Canada. He possesses exceptional international aviation experience and a proven track record of 25 years, including his most recent and visionary executive leadership at Scandinavian Airlines, Avianca Group, and Aeroméxico, and previously at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (now Air France-KLM) and Qatar Airways,” he explained.
Anko Van der Werff has over 25 years of leadership experience in international airlines, having held senior positions in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Prior to joining Air Canada, he was President and CEO of SAS Scandinavian Airlines, leading the airline through a significant period of transformation and strategic renewal.
He also served as CEO of Avianca, one of Latin America’s leading airlines. Early in his career, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Aeroméxico , held senior commercial management positions at Qatar Airways , and occupied various executive roles at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
He also served on the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) until June 2026 and has served on the boards of directors of several international organizations in the aviation, technology, and business sectors. He holds a Master of Laws degree from Leiden University and completed executive studies at Harvard Business School.
“Air Canada is a leading airline recognized globally. It is an honor to be chosen to lead this iconic Canadian company as it drives 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.
Sørensen, for his part, thanked Michael Rousseau for “his exceptional leadership and extraordinary contributions, which are largely responsible for Air Canada’s enviable position among global airlines. We are grateful for that legacy and his support during the transition.”
Rousseau’s retirement will be effective from August 31, 2026. He will remain available as needed throughout the transition. Following his departure and during the transition period, the Executive Committee will keep the Board of Directors informed.
The airline stated that Van der Werff’s selection follows an extensive global search for the best person to lead Air Canada into the future and considered several performance criteria, including the ability to communicate in French. A native of the Netherlands, he speaks Dutch, as well as English, Spanish, Italian, and Swedish at varying levels.
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