Air Canada has officially appointed Anko van der Werff, current CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, marking a strategic shift to an outsider leader. The Montreal-based operator selected van der Werff to replace Michael Rousseau, who stepped down following a public outcry over his failure to speak French in a corporate video. Van der Werff, who led SAS through bankruptcy recovery since July 2021, brings cross-border operational expertise from prior roles at Avianca, Grupo Aeromexico, Qatar Airways, and Air France-KLM. He will assume the role and join the board by end of January 2027, initiating a six-month transition period. This appointment reflects the sector’s trend of recruiting experienced external CEOs to navigate complex recovery and expansion phases.