New blood at Ferguson Marine shipyard to help 'secure prosperous future'

Scottish Government-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine has added a marine engineer and former Glasgow City Council finance director to its board to help it “successfully execute our new ten-year strategy and secure a sustainable and prosperous future”.

The announcement comes three weeks before new chief executive Graeme Thomson takes over, with the Port Glasgow yard still to announce whether the massively delayed CalMac ferry Glen Rosa will be completed in September - more than seven years late.

Glen Rosa being launched at the Ferguson Marine yard on Tuesday. (Photo by John Devlin/The Scotsman) | John Devlin/The Scotsman

The firm announced on Thursday its two new non-executive directors, Duncan Anderson and Martin Booth, had joined last month and will be paid £320 per day, up to four days a month.

It said Mr Anderson, a former chief executive of Gulf Marine Services in Abu Dhabi, had worked in shipbuilding and ship operations for more than 40 years, managing the design and construction of more than 100 vessels across the world, including ferries.

Duncan Anderson has overseen the construction of more than 100 vessels | Ferguson Marine

The yard said: “His leadership in driving growth and operational excellence in shipbuilding will be a key asset as the company looks forward to completing the work on Glen Rosa and delivers on its ten-year strategy.”

Mr Anderson said: “With the company’s strong heritage and potential growth, I look forward to using the experience I’ve gained to support the team in securing a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine and, in particular, showcasing its ability to deliver high-quality work.”

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Mr Booth, the part-time chief finance officer at social care charity Enable, has also worked at IBM, PwC and Kilmarnock Prison.

Ferguson Marine said: “Martin’s financial expertise and governance experience will be invaluable as the company continues to focus on financial sustainability, enhanced governance arrangements and operational improvements.”

Martin Booth is a former Glasgow City Council finance director | Ferguson Marine

Mr Booth said: “The shipyard has a strong foundation and I can already see a lot of improvements have been made to its governance practices.”

Yard chair Andrew Miller said: “Duncan’s extensive shipbuilding experience and proven track record in driving business growth, combined with Martin’s deep expertise in finance and governance, will be crucial as we work to achieve our strategic objectives.

“We are confident they will play a key role in helping Ferguson Marine realise its potential and help us successfully execute our new ten-year strategy, securing a sustainable and prosperous future for the yard.”