Playing yardball
Ferguson Marine slammed for blowing £20k on ‘performance coach’ after chief is sacked
SCANDAL-HIT Ferguson Marine has hired a business performance coach to speed up work on two delayed and over-budget CalMac ferries.
Jim Gibson, 69, joined the board of the nationalised shipyard in Port Glasgow as a non-executive director.
The firm is building the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa, due to launch on Tuesday, which are six years late and will cost around three times their original £97million price.
Ferguson Marine’s latest accounts state non-executive directors work at least four days a month for £320 per day plus travel expenses – earning Gibson between £15,000-£20,000 a year.
The move emerged after Ferguson chief executive David Tydeman was sacked. Mairi McAllan, the Minister responsible for ferries, denied any involvement.
Scottish Tory shadow transport minister
Graham Simpson MSP said: “Having sacked the man who was about to deliver on the world’s most over- priced ferries, David Tydeman, Mairi McAllan is clearly trying to give the impression that she has a plan for Fergusons – except no one knows what it is.
“No amount of glossy board appointments is going to get the ferries into service any quicker and it won’t give the yard a future without the investment that David Tydeman was asking for.”
Last month’s dismissal of £205,000-a-year chief Tydeman was followed last week by the sacking of Calmac chief executive Robbie Drummond, 54.
CalMac’s ageing fleet has caused delays and disruption on its routes off the west coast.
Human resources specialist Gibson, who has held senior positions at Scotrail and BAE Systems, ran his own firm Business Performance Coaching Ltd.
On the Ferguson Marine website, Gibson is described as having “a proven track record of driving sustainable change and delivering restructured business performance models within large complex organisations.” A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The appointment of nonexecutive directors is made by Scottish Ministers on the recommendation of the Board.”
Ferguson Marine said: “The board has a number of nonexecutive directors chosen to ensure we have a wealth of diverse knowledge and skills to support the business.
“Mr Gibson’s appointment in January brings more than 20 years of non-executive director experience and a track record of director-level H Rand management skills.”
No amount of glossy hires will get ferries in quicker
GRAHAM SIMPSON TORY MSP