B.C. Ferries board ends contract with its chief executive
VICTORIA — B.C. Ferry Services announced Friday morning it has ended its contract with Mark Collins, who has served since April 2017 as president and chief executive of the company.
Collins is leaving B.C. Ferries “effective immediately,” a statement from the board said.
His departure follows major shake-ups in the company’s decision-making boards in recent months and comes as the system posts frequent sailing-cancellation notices due to crew shortages.
The B.C. Ferry Services board of directors decided to end Collins’ contract, which will entitle him to severance in accordance with the terms of his contract, it said. The amount has not yet been finalized.
“We thank Mr. Collins for his hard work and dedication to B.C. Ferries. We wish him well in all future endeavours,” said board chair Joy MacPhail.
While Collins was president, B.C. Ferries invested in upgrading terminals, brought in a new fare-flexibility model and spent millions of dollars to build new ferries and reduce the number of vessel classes.
“Like many organizations, B.C. Ferries has faced recent staffing shortages, service interruptions and COVID-related challenges,” MacPhail said. “There are no quick fixes to these systemic challenges, but as a board, we believe it is time for renewal, fresh ideas and a renewed commitment to the highest standards of customer service, safety and affordability.”
A search for Collins’ replacement will soon be underway.
Jill Sharland, current vice-president and chief financial officer at B.C. Ferries, will serve as interim president and chief executive while continuing to fulfill her duties as CFO, the company said.
MacPhail took over as chair of the B.C. Ferry Services board of directors June 29. The former cabinet minister with the NDP government had served for five years as chair of the Insurance Corp. of B.C., where she oversaw the introduction of a no-fault style insurance model.
Recent sailing cancellations have hit the largest and most lucrative routes, along with ferry-dependent smaller island communities.
Disruptions have been happening for many months, but are now affecting B.C.’s tourism sector as it works to get back on its feet after the impact of COVID.
In April 2020, B.C. Ferries issued layoff notices to more than 1,000 employees after traffic plummeted, costing the company more than $1 million every day. The layoffs infuriated the union representing ferry workers.
Federal wage subsidies announced shortly afterward saw the company recall the majority of workers.
B.C. Ferries was found by an arbitrator to have breached its labour contract with employees by imposing the layoffs.