Air Canada’s President and CEO, Michael Rousseau, will retire in the fall after a nearly two-decade tenure with the airline, as announced on Monday. This decision aligns with the airline’s long-standing focus on CEO succession planning, which has been ongoing internally for over two years. Rousseau, in an internal communication with employees obtained by Radio-Canada, expressed his pride in representing the airline but stated that the time has come for his retirement. He will continue to lead the company and serve on its board of directors until the end of the third quarter.
The retirement announcement follows Rousseau’s English-only message of condolence after the tragic crash of Air Canada Flight 8646 in New York, where the plane collided with a fire truck, resulting in the deaths of two pilots and injuries to numerous others. The incident sparked controversy as Rousseau’s message was primarily in English, despite the company’s policy requiring bilingual communication due to its Montreal headquarters and the significance of both official languages in Canada.
Politicians, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, criticized Rousseau for his lack of French in the message, with calls for his resignation from Quebec Premier François Legault and the Quebec National Assembly. However, former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney defended Rousseau, emphasizing the importance of safety and service reliability over language training.
Rousseau later issued an apology for his inability to speak French, acknowledging the criticism and expressing regret for any distress caused to the families of the crash victims. Despite his apology, many felt that it fell short of addressing the issue adequately. The situation escalated further as Rousseau was summoned to appear before the Official Languages Committee in Ottawa, with numerous complaints lodged against his remarks.
In response to Rousseau’s retirement, Prime Minister Carney deemed it appropriate and emphasized the necessity for the next Air Canada CEO to be bilingual. Transport Minister Stephen MacKinnon thanked Rousseau for his service, while Quebec politicians, including Premier Legault, welcomed the announcement, highlighting the importance of a French-speaking CEO out of respect for employees and customers.
The controversy surrounding Rousseau’s language proficiency is not new, as he previously faced criticism for delivering a speech predominantly in English in 2021. The board was urged to address his French-language skills, indicating that the ability to speak French is likely to be a key criterion for selecting the next CEO. John Gradek, an aviation management expert, noted that political pressure played a significant role in Rousseau’s retirement decision and speculated that the company’s next CEO would need to be fluent in French.
