Aberdeen Harbour Board (AHB) chairman Alistair Mackenzie has resigned from his role leading the board at shipyard company Ferguson Marine.
Mr Mackenzie, who was appointed Ferguson’s chairman in June 2020, said he was stepping down for personal reasons.
A spokeswoman for AHB today (January 20) confirmed Mr Mackenzie was to continue in his role as chairman there, a position he has held since 2015.
Hit by delays
Port Glasgow-based Ferguson Marine was nationalised in August 2019 after its collapse into administration.
A contract had previously been signed to supply two vessels to west coast ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) for £97 million, with an initial completion date set for 2018.
But the price of the vessels has since more than doubled to in excess of £200m.
The CalMac ferry Glen Sannox, which is to serve on one of Scotland’s busiest sea crossings, the Ardrossan to Arran service, is now due to be handed over between July and September this year – four years later than expected.
The second ship, currently known as Hull 802, is not due to be delivered until between April and July 2023 – five years later than planned.
It is due to go into operation between Uig on Skye, Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist.
Ferguson Marine has blamed delays last year on Covid-19 and a lack of available skilled workers.
John Hudson has also resigned from his role as a board member.
Ferguson Marine purchase a “catastrophic failure”
Speaking about his resignation, Mr Mackenzie said: “For personal reasons, I have decided that now is the right time to resign.
“I have been proud to sit on the board of directors of Ferguson Marine, and supported the company during a very challenging period when it took over the administration and through a transformation programme.
“In collaboration with the broader board and senior management team, significant progress has been made to improve governance, processes and systems, and to strengthen the workforce.”
He added: “I would like to thank John Hudson as he leaves, as well as the wider board and shipyard workforce, for their commitment and support over the last 18 months.
“With the arrival of a new CEO and three new board members in the coming months, I’m sure the yard will continue to strengthen.”
Leadership changes
Mr Mackenzie and Mr Hudson will leave their posts in April.
Their roles are being advertised along with an additional non-executive director position to strengthen the board’s commercial and legal expertise.
These appointments will follow the arrival of a new chief executive, with David Tydeman due to take the helm at the shipyard on February 1.
Tim Hair, turnaround director, who has been leading the business since August 2019, will leave on February 11, following a short handover period.
In a report in December 2020, MSPs in Holyrood’s rural economy and liaison committee called the purchase of the CalMac ferries from Ferguson Marine “a catastrophic failure”.
