Air Canada has named SAS chief Anko Van der Werff as its next chief executive, replacing Michael Rousseau after a French-language controversy that consumed his final months.
Van der Werff will take over by the end of January 2027 and join the board, the Montreal-based airline said Wednesday. Rousseau, who has run the carrier since 2021, will retire on August 31, and the executive committee will report directly to the board through the intervening transition.
The outgoing SAS CEO confirmed the move in a LinkedIn post, calling it a day of “mixed emotions.”
“Of course I am excited for what is to come, but leaving SAS, Sweden and Scandinavia has not been an easy decision,” he added.
air canada posted this introduction video from Anko Van der Werff in both english and french. credit: air canada
Van der Werff is a well known ind
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