A ferry good job!

Are you itching for a job that makes the average Island salary look like peanuts? Well, we might have found your golden ticket.

This article first appeared in the Isle of Wight Observer. See here.

A global headhunter is on the lookout for a superstar capable of steering their client through the choppy waters of strategic upheaval and expansion. This isn’t an easy gig, you’d be leading a business swimming in EBITDA [read – profit margin], while pushing a green agenda to the forefront. You’ll also need to juggle managing a safety-first environment, whilst dancing a jig to the tune of a mixed bag of stakeholder demands.

The industry captain sailing into the sunset is Wightlink’s Keith Greenfield, who has plotting the company’s course since 2016.

Three weeks ago, we revealed that Keith was taking rather more than the traditional King’s shilling, trousering £377,000 in 2022/23, with an extra £27,000 squirreled away into his pension fund.

But a word of warning: if you’re reading this, you may not be quite clear who Felix Hasted, the Korn Ferry associate on the lookout for this exceptional individual, is after. His client’s log doesn’t feature Island residents at the helm, despite supplying lifeline services to Islanders and playing a vital role in our Island’s economy.

Perhaps last year’s operating profit of a smidge over 20 per cent (down from 26.6 per cent the previous year) isn’t hitting the sweet spot for Wightlink’s owners, Basalt Infrastructure Partners and Fiera Infrastructure. After all, in 2022/23 the company only paid them £8 million in dividends.

But don’t worry, Keith is steering a steady course until the next CEO takes his commission. Wightlink confirmed the job vacancy describing it as “part of a long-term plan”, adding “Keith continues to lead Wightlink as CEO until such time as a successor is appointed.”

If you think you could take charge on the bridge you can get in touch at felix.hasted@kornferry.com – and if Felix likes the cut of your jib you could do us all a favour and see if you can get those fares down a bit.

In the interests of transparency, we can confirm that Wightlink didn’t pay for this job advertisement.