Anko Van der Werff

Enigma
DISC Type : dci

President & CEO at SAS - Scandinavian Airlines

Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden

Overview

Anko van der Werff is the President & CEO of SAS - Scandinavian Airlines, leading its business transformation. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Leiden University, his extensive aviation career includes serving as CEO of Avianca. Colleagues praise his blend of intelligence, strategic leadership, and human touch.

Outside of his executive roles, he is passionate about how travel connects cultures and is deeply interested in the intersection of aviation, technology, and sports. He is actively involved in professional football in his home country, the Netherlands, through a board position with the top league.

He believes that aviation is the "biggest team sport in business" and is also the Chairman of the Board for the popular flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

Personality Overview

Challenger

Persuasive & Assertive

Hard To Convince

They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.  They are likely to ask many questions and look heavily for supporting proof as well as information. They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing

Topics They Care About

Airline Transformation
He is currently leading the SAS FORWARD plan to reshape the company into a more resilient and competitive airline, drawing on previous turnaround experience.
In-Flight Technology
Recently highlighted the successful implementation of high-speed Starlink-powered Wi-Fi on SAS flights, showing a focus on enhancing the passenger experience through new tech.
Operational Punctuality
He proudly celebrated SAS achieving a top-three global ranking for on-time performance in 2025, emphasizing the importance of operational reliability.

Media Appearances

Anko has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2021
President & CEO at SAS - Scandinavian Airlines
6-2023
Member of the Board of Governors at International Air Transport Association (IATA)
12-2025
Chairman of the Board at Flightradar24
3-2024
Member of Supervisory Board at Eredivisie CV
10-2025
Harvard Business School Alumni Board Member at Harvard Business School

Education

2008 - 2008
Graduate from Harvard Business School
1994 - 1999
Masters from Leiden University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 4 Location : Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden Job Level : Leadership Designation : President & CEO at SAS - Scandinavian Airlines
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Insights For Selling To Anko

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Leverage 'negging', or the art of asking negative questions like "you must not be convinced yet..."
  • Be prepared for a mix of questions and inquisitiveness, answer them in the tone in which they have been asked
  • Build rapport slwly without rushing, it will come handy to handle hard questions later

DONT's

  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Avoid making offhand commitments, understand the root of their concerns first
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously. They are easily deterred

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Anko is

  • Proven value, strong objective evidence are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Anko

  • They are practical and friendly, but can give a clear response with a little prodding

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Anko move?

  • They like to be detailed, so unless they develop strong conviction, they can take their time to arrive at decisions
  • Can Anko take some risk or not?

  • They evaluate their decisions systematically and do not take risks that often, unless you can get them to develop strong conviction

You And Anko

Personality Compatibility


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