Hullo Ferries CEO leaves for new role at Vancouver marine company
Hullo Ferries has undergone a major leadership change, with Ryan Dermody departing earlier this month after about 16 months at the helm of the private ferry company.
Dermody joined Hullo Ferries’ board of directors in January 2024 and became acting CEO in May 2025, after inaugural CEO Alastair Caddick returned to his Vancouver-based firm, Cascadia Strategy Consulting Partners.
Following a search and recruitment process, Dermody was appointed permanent CEO in November 2025.
As of this month, Dermody is now executive vice president of marine operations at Vancouver-based Bridgemans Services Group, which specializes in marine logistics, marine construction, and the operation of floatels.
Marco Ahrens, the general manager of Hullo Ferries, is now serving as acting CEO. He has more than 20 years of leadership experience, most recently serving as a senior vice president at Oceanex — after 13 years as president of Canship Ugland.
“Hullo has an exceptional team and a strong opportunity ahead. I look forward to working with our employees and leadership team as we continue to deliver safe, reliable, and welcoming ferry service for our customers and communities,” said Ahrens.
Hullo Ferries launched its high-speed passenger ferry service between Downtown Vancouver and Nanaimo in August 2023. It operates multiple round trips daily, with each crossing taking approximately 75 minutes.
By its third anniversary last month, the service had carried more than 1.5 million passengers across nearly 10,000 sailings.
The company also plans to eventually launch a second route between Downtown Vancouver and Greater Victoria. This would involve expanding its fleet beyond its current two vessels.
A larger fleet would also improve the resilience of its Nanaimo service and provide the redundancy needed for more backup capacity.
“It has grown a solid revenue base and gained strong passenger following, marking a significant milestone and positioning Hullo strongly for achieving its next phase of growth,” added Ahrens.
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