BC Ferries suddenly replaces CEO Nicolas Jimenez as board launches service review
Nicolas Jimenez has suddenly left his role as the president and CEO of BC Ferries, as the company’s board of directors installs an interim replacement and orders a review of how the ferry system operates.
In a statement issued today, BC Ferries board chair Cathy McLay announced that Brian Anderson, the company’s vice-president responsible for strategy and planning, will take over as interim president and CEO effective immediately.
The board initiated both the leadership change and what it calls a “Revitalization Review,” saying the ferry system faces increasing demands and needs new approaches to serving passengers and coastal communities.
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McLay’s statement did not explain the specific circumstances behind Jimenez’s departure or provide a timeline for appointing a permanent president and CEO.
“The Board thanks outgoing CEO Nicolas Jimenez for his contributions to BC Ferries and wishes him success in his future endeavours,” reads the statement.
Jimenez has led the organization for just over 3.5 years. He first became the head of the organization in March 2023.
Prior to BC Ferries, he was with ICBC for 16 years, culminating with being the president and CEO of the provincial Crown corporation from December 2017 to March 2023.
The changes also expand the responsibilities of Dallyn Willis, who is the executive vice-president and chief financial officer of BC Ferries. Willis will take on strategy and planning duties and lead the review, with the board overseeing that work.
According to the announcement, the review will look for ways to make better use of the ferry system and improve services. No specific operational changes or a timeline for completing the review have been provided at this time.
The leadership change comes as decisions are being made about BC Ferries’ future fares, funding, and service levels. The independent BC Ferries Commissioner is currently in the process of reviewing the company’s latest financial and operating plans to determine how much average fares can increase each year from April 2028 through March 2032. A preliminary decision is expected by the end of March 2027, with the final fare increase limits established by September 2027.
In late 2024, Jimenez previously warned that, based on BC Ferries’ budgetary forecast made in 2023, a fare increase equivalent to about a one-time 30 per cent hike in 2028 would be needed for the ferry company to simply keep up and manage its growing operational and capital costs.
At the same time, BC Ferries and the provincial government will work out the minimum ferry services the company must provide and the government funding to help pay for them. These arrangements are reviewed every four years.
Today’s announcement also comes just after this past weekend’s provincial general election, which saw the Conservative Party of British Columbia win a decisive majority government led by premier-elect Lorne Doerkson.
The board notes that it will work with the incoming provincial government, the BC Ferry Authority, and the commissioner on the next strategies for the coastal ferry system, which is operated as a private company wholly owned by the provincial government.
The finances of BC Ferries are likely to be a key file for Doerkson’s administration.
In July 2026, three members of BC Ferries’ board did not see their terms renewed, including longtime BC NDP veteran and BC Ferries board chair Joy MacPhail, as well as board directors Eric Denhoff and Dennis Blatchford.
McLay was previously the vice-chair of the board. She was also the chief financial officer and executive vice president of finance and corporate services for TransLink.
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