Dismissed Air Canada CEO Ignored French Communication—and Overlooked Fundamentals of Crisis Leadership

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(SeaPRwire) –   Bonjour. After serving as CEO of Air Canada for five years, Michael Rousseau announced his retirement from the Montreal-based airline yesterday. This decision follows significant criticism after he spoke very little French in a video statement addressing a fatal crash at LaGuardia Airport last week. It raises questions: Did Rousseau genuinely not know how to say more than “hello” and “thank you” in Canada’s two official languages? Were others aware of this limitation? What is evident is that this backlash extends beyond mere linguistic proficiency. Here are some key takeaways:

He made no effort. There could not have been a more opportune moment to include a few French sentences in the teleprompter than when discussing the tragic death of a francophone employee, pilot Antoine Forest. (Pilot Mackenzie Gunther from Ontario also perished.) Rousseau had committed to learning French in 2021 after facing similar criticism. After five years and 300 hours of language instruction, this was the extent of his progress? It’s understandable why critics questioned his empathy, dedication, and, quite frankly, his capacity to learn. As one CEO remarked, “He brought this upon himself.”

French is the official language of Quebec. My father considered relocating his business to Montreal when we left Scotland, but the province’s French language legislation led him to establish his company in Ontario. Nevertheless, he held great respect for how these laws had allowed Quebec to preserve its distinct language and culture. The preservation of Quebec’s francophone identity remains a non-negotiable issue. Consider Bill 96, a recent law mandating that any company with 25 or more employees must officially recognize French as the primary workplace language. Some CEOs express concerns about increased costs and the impact on their ability to attract talent. Attempts by Trump to address this in trade negotiations were unsuccessful. If multinational corporations are required to adapt, why should Air Canada’s CEO be exempt from speaking French?

Where was the board? In any crisis, the CEO becomes the company’s primary spokesperson, and leading an airline necessitates frequent public communication for various reasons. In 2021, the board should have recognized that Rousseau’s dismissive attitude towards the French language was problematic. It was their responsibility to identify these warning signs and ensure the issue was resolved. If they were aware that Rousseau could not progress beyond “Allez!” after 300 hours of training, they should have intervened earlier and prevented this highly public embarrassment. As my colleague Phil Wahba points out, a leader’s inability—or perhaps unwillingness—to acquire the necessary skills for their role is simply poor business practice.

Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at diane.brady@.com