P&O Ferries has employed a former DFDS govt as successor to Peter Hebblethwaite, the person whose controversial fire-and-rehire coverage earned him the nickname “Britain’s most hated boss”.
Sky Information has learnt that Kasper Moos, a Dane, will turn into the chief govt of P&O Ferries later this month.
Mr Moos, who has additionally held senior roles at AP Moller Maersk, the conglomerate, mentioned in a memo circulated to P&O Ferries workers on Thursday: “It is a globally recognised model within the ferry trade, one which right this moment offers very important passenger and freight connections between the UK and continental Europe, and inside the UK.
“I’m wanting ahead to attending to work, persevering with the transformation of this nice firm, and guaranteeing we’re offering our prospects with the top quality service they want.”
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His arrival this month will guarantee a clean succession on the helm of the corporate, following Mr Hebblethwaite‘s scandal-hit tenure, by which he sacked tons of of seafarers and changed them with cheaper company workers.
Mr Hebblethwaite joined the ranks of Britain’s most infamous company figures in 2022 when P&O Ferries, a subsidiary of the large Dubai-based ports operator DP World, mentioned it was sacking 800 workers with instant impact – a few of whom realized their destiny by way of a video message.
Peter Hebblethwaite is seen giving proof to MPs in 2022. Pic: PA
The coverage, which Mr Hebblethwaite defended to MPs throughout subsequent choose committee hearings, erupted right into a nationwide scandal, prompting adjustments within the legislation to offer employees larger safety.
P&O Ferries carries 4.5 million passengers yearly on routes between the UK and continental European ports together with Calais and Rotterdam.
It additionally operates a route between Northern Eire and Scotland, and is a significant freight provider.
The corporate’s losses soared throughout the pandemic, with DP World – its sole shareholder – supporting it by means of tons of of tens of millions of kilos in loans.
Its most up-to-date accounts, which have been considerably delayed, confirmed a major discount in losses in 2023 to only over £90m.
The discount from the earlier yr’s determine of just about £250m was partly attributed to price discount workouts.
Mr Hebblethwaite had argued because the mass sackings of 2022 that the corporate would have gone bust with out the drastic cost-cutting that it entailed.
The corporate insisted on the time that these affected by the redundancies had been supplied “enhanced” packages to go away.
Final October, the then transport secretary, Louise Haigh, mentioned: “The mass sacking by P&O Ferries was a nationwide scandal which might by no means be allowed to occur once more,” including that measures to guard seafarers from “rogue employers” would forestall a repetition.
The minister’s description of P&O Ferries as “rogue”, and suggestion that buyers ought to boycott the corporate, sparked a row that threatened to overshadow the federal government’s Worldwide Funding Summit final October.
Sky Information’s enterprise and economics correspondent, Paul Kelso, revealed that DP World had withdrawn from taking part within the occasion, and paused a £1bn funding announcement.
The corporate relented after Sir Keir Starmer publicly distanced the federal government from Ms Haigh’s characterisation of DP World.
A P&O Ferries spokesman confirmed Mr Moos’s appointment.
