SAS President and CEO Anko Van der Werff to Lead Air Canada from Early 2027
- Joe Breitfeller
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Air Canada has today announced the appointment of Anko Van der Werff as President and CEO, and Member of the Board from the end of January 2027. Mr. Van der Werff currently serves as the President and CEO of SAS.
On Wednesday (July 8, 2026), Air Canada announced that Anko Van der Werff will become their next President and Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, by the end of January 2027. Mr. Van der Werff, currently President and Chief Executive Officer at Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), and will succeed Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement after 19 years with Air Canada. The selection of Mr. 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 effectively in French.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Air Canada’s Chairman, Vagn Sørensen, 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.
“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.”
Also commenting on his upcoming role with Air Canada, Anko Van der Werff, said,
“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. 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.”
Mr. Van der Werff will remain in his current role as President and CEO of SAS until departure, ensuring stability and continuity as SAS continues to execute their strategic priorities and deliver reliable operations and a high-quality experience for customers, colleagues and stakeholders. The Board will now initiate the process of appointing his successor. Since Anko van der Werff joined SAS in 2021, SAS has undergone a significant transformation, completed a comprehensive restructuring and substantially strengthened both its financial and operational position. During this period, SAS also joined SkyTeam, strengthening their position within a leading global airline alliance.
Mr. Rousseau’s retirement is effective August 31, 2026, though 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 directly to the Board of Directors.
Source(s): Air Canada / Globe Newswire, SAS / Cision
