Air Canada has announced the appointment of Anko Van der Werff as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective by the end of January 2027. He will also join the airline’s Board of Directors.
Van der Werff, currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), will succeed Michael Rousseau, who had earlier announced his retirement after 19 years with Air Canada.
The appointment follows a global executive search undertaken by Air Canada’s Board of Directors to identify the airline’s next leader. According to the company, the selection process assessed candidates against a range of performance criteria, including the ability to communicate in French.
Commenting on the appointment, Vagn Sørensen, Chair of the Board of Air Canada, said, “Our Board of Directors was impressed by the quality of experienced executives from around the world who expressed interest in the role. 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.”
Anko Van der Werff said, “Air Canada is a globally recognised 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. 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.”
Sørensen said, “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.”
Rousseau will retire on August 31, 2026, and will remain available during the transition period. Following his departure, Air Canada said its Executive Committee will report directly to the Board of Directors until Van der Werff assumes office at the end of January 2027.
