Achi news desk-
It comes just over a week after the chief executive of state-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman, was sacked by his board.
Mr Drummond’s departure comes after a review by the board of CalMac, which is also wholly owned by the Scottish Government.
In recent years the aging nature of CalMac’s ferry fleet has led to delays and disruptions on its routes around the west coast of Scotland.
READ MORE: Ferry fiasco costs Scottish public ‘staggering’ £1.3m under ScotGov
These problems have been compounded by ongoing delays to the construction of two ferries at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow.
The two ferries, which will eventually serve routes in the west of Scotland with CalMac, are around six years late and will cost around three times the original price of £97 million.
Ministers are also due to make a decision this summer on the award of the ferry services contract for the west coast, something which would have a significant impact on CalMac as a going concern.
Mr Drummond was previously managing director of CalMac before becoming its chief executive in October 2022.
Last year he was reported to have earned £170,000 in bonuses on top of his £143,000 salary.
His departure was announced in a statement from the company on Wednesday.
He said: “The board of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd takes the responsibility of delivering the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) contract very seriously.
“It recognizes that the island communities served by CalMac have faced real challenges over the past year. These challenges are likely to continue until new boats are introduced to the fleet over the coming years.
“In this context, the board wants to further strengthen the focus on the operational performance of an aging fleet, resilience and better dialogue and responsiveness with the customers and communities that CalMac serves.
“As a result, the board has reviewed the executive leadership of the organization to ensure that it is in the best position to achieve that during some challenging years ahead.
“As part of that review, current CEO Robbie Drummond is stepping down with immediate effect.”
Duncan Mackison, the former chief executive of CalMac’s holding company, David MacBrayne Ltd, has been appointed as interim boss until a permanent successor to Mr Drummond is found.
