Air Canada 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 CEO at Scandinavian Airlines, succeeds Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement after 19 years with Air Canada.
Van der Werff has extensive 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.
“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 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 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.
“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,” said Vagn Sørensen, board chair.
