Hullo Ferries seeks new leadership to steer next phase of expansion | Daily Hive

A vessel of Hullo Ferries passing under the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, on its way to Nanaimo. (Hullo Ferries)

Hullo Ferries has launched a search for a new executive leader as the company prepares for a critical phase of expansion aimed at growing its high-speed passenger ferry service in British Columbia’s South Coast. According to the company, it has now achieved the “successful completion of its start-up phase.”

This transition comes following the departure of Alastair Caddick, Hullo Ferries’ inaugural CEO. He was first identified as CEO prior to the company’s formation in August 2022, and led preparations for the launch of its service between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo, which officially began operations in August 2023.

“I would like to thank the entire Hullo crew who have put their heart and soul into launching Hullo. It has been a privilege working alongside all of you. I am very proud of what we have collectively built, and I look forward to watching Hullo continue to grow and succeed,” said Caddick in a statement on Thursday.

Caddick will now return to Cascadia Strategy Consulting Partners, a prominent Vancouver-based consulting firm that assists B.C. companies in improving their operations, addressing complex challenges, and enhancing decision-making. Cascadia’s website still lists him as a partner of the company. Prior to founding Cascadia in 2016, Caddick was an executive at CHC Helicopter.

In an interview with Daily Hive Urbanized on Friday, Ryan Dermody — the newly appointed interim CEO of Hullo Ferries and a member of the company’s board of directors — praised Caddick as the right person to lead the service’s launch and build early ridership momentum, and thanked him for being “a huge asset to Hullo Ferries.”

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“It takes a certain personality type and a certain positivity, which Alastair had in abundance, and driving that kind of decision process to get the service up and running,” said Dermody.

“Alistair had an amazing positivity and an amazing go-getter attitude in order to get us to where we are. He did an exceptional job at it.”

Hullo Ferries has now contracted a recruitment firm to lead the search for its new permanent CEO.

Although the search is now underway, Dermody noted that the company is in no immediate rush to appoint a new leader. In addition to serving as an executive at Toronto-based private equity firm Conqora Capital Partners — which provided part of the financing needed to start Hullo Ferries — Dermody brings extensive maritime experience, having previously served as vice president of the Port of Montreal, president of Terminal Norcan, and as an officer in the British Royal Navy.

“What we’re looking for is somebody with that different skill set and experience,” said Dermody with regards to the recruitment process.

Rupesh Amin, executive chairman of Vancouver Island Ferry Company (VIFC), the ownership entity of Hullo Ferries, added, “We thank Alastair for his dedication and substantial contributions in guiding VIFC through its foundational period and helping us transition towards this promising future. Having successfully established reliable daily operations and built a dedicated team, VIFC is eager to take the next step.”

“This transition allows us to bring in a leader specifically focused on accelerating growth, further enhancing our customer experience, and realizing the full potential of this vital transportation link. We are enthusiastic about the future and confident that Ryan’s interim leadership will add much value and drive our positive momentum,” continued Amin in a statement.

Hullo Ferries in Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver. (Daniel Chai/Daily Hive)

Over 700,000 passengers recorded

On Google Reviews, the service has been generally well received to date, with the Vancouver terminal earning 4.1 out of five stars based on nearly 600 reviews, and the Nanaimo terminal receiving a slightly higher rating of 4.2 out of five stars based on over 900 reviews.

As of early this month, Dermody says Hullo Ferries has recorded over 700,000 passengers since its launch — an achievement he describes as “amazing,” highlighting the company is “definitely on the ridership curve” of growth.

Earlier this year, the company reported that for the month of January 2025, the ferry service achieved an exceptional 99 per cent reliability rate — successfully completing nearly all scheduled sailings during the height of winter.

However, shortly afterward, one of the vessels required shipyard repairs after sustaining damage from striking debris. Dermody says the issue was handled “quickly and professionally,” and notes that it underscores the importance of having a minimum fleet of two vessels to maintain service continuity in the face of unexpected incidents.

For the May 2025 schedule, Hullo Ferries is operating seven roundtrip sailings daily from Thursday to Monday, and three roundtrip sailings per day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It also performs special late night sailings to Nanaimo, coinciding only with select major events — such as concerts and sports games — in Vancouver.

On exceptionally rare occasions, Hullo Ferries temporarily relocates its Nanaimo terminal to the W.E. Landing Marina in downtown Nanaimo for a single day, typically to accommodate the very limited number of cruise ship dockings that take place each year at the Nanaimo Port Authority terminal. According to the current schedule, this temporary relocation is only expected to be required once through the end of August 2025 — for sailings on May 15.

Hullo Ferries’ vessels at their main dock at the Nanaimo Port Authority facility. (Hullo Ferries)

Workers have joined a union

Hullo Ferries employs approximately 100 crew and staff. In September 2024, the workers voted to join the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union, which also represents employees at BC Ferries.

When asked, Dermody said the company continues to have a “positive and constructive relationship” with the union, and that negotiations toward the first collective agreement are ongoing — something he describes as expected in the early stages of a new organization.

“Like us, they (the union) want to see Hullo thrive, expand, and become an integral part of the regional transportation network… We’re aligned on the fundamentals — stability, opportunity, and service excellence,” he said, while also noting that “nothing has changed materially since the union was formed, our focus remains on delivering reliable, enjoyable service to our guests every single day.”

Hullo Ferries ship at the downtown Vancouver terminal. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

He emphasized that the service is now rooted in the local market. In stark contrast, when Hullo Ferries first launched nearly two years ago, there was skepticism from some who doubted it would make it through its first winter.

“Now I think what we need to do is just take a step back, enjoy the successes, and then look at how we stabilize the operation, ramp up our commercial curve, and then look for the next exciting route, which we’re all super excited about,” Dermody told Daily Hive Urbanized during the interview.

“I would say it’s more not only commercially focused, in terms of commercial stability, rather than commercial growth, but also ensuring that we have the right operational schedules. As we were growing as a business, we were trial and error. We were testing. It’s never been done before. It’s not been done in this way before.”

Fine-tuning service before expansion

Caddick and other members of the Hullo Ferries team previously told Daily Hive Urbanized that their next major goal is to establish a second route between downtown Vancouver and Victoria — after they have built a strong foundation of a fully-optimized first route serving Nanaimo. This expansion would also require growing the fleet to as many as six vessels, not only to support the additional route but also to enhance the service’s continuity, resiliency, and reliability by providing additional spare ships.

When asked, Dermody said that while the expansion has yet to receive approval from the company’s board of directors, he reaffirmed that expanding into more markets has always been a core part of Hullo Ferries’ strategy — with the acquisition of additional vessels seen as a key step toward enabling that growth.

Dermody adds that for another area of growth, the company will look to prioritize expanding outreach initiatives and strengthening local partnerships. For instance, Hullo Ferries has partnered with BCAA’s Evo Car Share and Evolve E-Bike Share services stationed at the Nanaimo terminal, and has recently introduced ferry fare discounts for BCAA members.

But he also emphasized that further fine-tuning and operational optimization are needed before any expansion can proceed — work he intends to focus on during his interim leadership.

With all that said, for the next few months, he added, they will not be rolling out any new major initiatives, and will use this time to evaluate their performance, refine the guest experience, and make sure they have the right systems and team structures in place to support the next stage of growth.

“The key for us to look into any expansion is obviously making sure that we are staffed up with the right model — that we have the right definitions around how our operations work. As I say, safety first, safety of our passengers, and safety of our crew,” Dermody told Daily Hive Urbanized.

“That’s kind of what I’m doing in general, just making sure that we just take it. It’s been a wild ride. Take a deep breath, take a step back, and make sure that we’re all set up for our growth trajectory… just make sure that everything is, you know, ship-shaped, and then you’ll see more and more exciting things ahead.”

Hullo Ferries may have company in the private passenger ferry sector in the coming years, with the anticipated launch of Greenline Ferries. The new operator is planning a frequent service connecting downtown Vancouver’s Harbour Green Park dock with Seymour Bay on Bowen Island and Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. Earlier this year, Greenline Ferries announced its goal of launching operations as early as Spring 2027.

Hullo Ferries approaching downtown Vancouver. (Hullo Ferries)

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