Air Canada has named SAS CEO Anko van der Werff as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, choosing an outside airline executive at a moment when the carrier has made real progress but still faces an important question: will the next chapter be about smart growth, or “disciplined capital allocation” that slowly erodes the customer experience?
Van der Werff will also join Air Canada’s Board of Directors. He succeeds Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement after 19 years with the company and a tenure as CEO that became increasingly overshadowed by controversy over his inability, or unwillingness, to communicate in French. I have written before about why French matters for the Air Canada CEO, especially with the airline “proudly” headquartered in Montréal.
Air Canada Board Chair Vagn Sørensen praised van der Werff’s international aviation experience, noting his leadership roles at SAS, Avianca, Aeroméxico, KLM, and Qatar Airways. Sørensen added:
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
