Air Canada announced on Wednesday that Anko Van der Werff, currently chief executive of Scandinavian Airlines, will become its next president and CEO by the end of January.
He replaces Michael Rousseau, who retires at the end of August after facing criticism over his inability to speak French.
The Montreal-based carrier conducted a global search, prioritizing multilingual skills and aviation experience.
Van der Werff has held leadership roles at Avianca Group, Aeroméxico, KLM, and Qatar Airways.
“He also learned Spanish, Italian and Swedish at different levels over the course of his international career,” Air Canada said.
In video messages in both official languages, Van der Werff expressed commitment to the airline.
“I join Air Canada with great respect for the work accomplished over recent years,” he said.
He acknowledged the importance of serving Canadians in both English and French.
Scandinavian Airlines, partly owned by Air France-KLM, immediately began a leadership transition plan.
“We respect his decision, while naturally regretting his departure,” said SAS chairman Kare Schultz.
Rousseau’s resignation followed a public backlash after an English-only video about a fatal runway collision.
“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French,” Rousseau said.
McGill University instructor John Gradek noted that Van der Werff must address stagnant share prices, aging fleets, and on-time performance.
