Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd has officially welcomed, Graeme Thomson, who began his tenure as CEO at the beginning of May. Graeme, who began his career as an electrician by trade and first got into shipbuilding as an apprentice, has extensive construction and shipbuilding experience. He joined Ferguson Marine from Babcock where he was Programme Director, overseeing the delivery of Type 31 Royal Navy frigate programme.  

Graeme has dedicated his early days to getting to know the people at Ferguson Marine, setting out his vision for the business and familiarising himself with its operations. This has involved spending his first couple of weeks in role speaking to staff and key stakeholders to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing the shipyard. 

Last week, he sat down with 3rd year engineering apprentice, Teigan McShane, who said:  

“It was great to hear that Graeme’s priorities are to make this a place where people are proud to come to work. He spoke about the importance of modernising the shipyard and how we build a strong and sustainable future for Ferguson Marine, which was encouraging. The workforce is all really rooting for Graeme, and the rest of the management team, and want the shipyard to be able to continue its proud Clydebuilt heritage.”  

From one-on-one meetings with team members across departments, to walking the shop floor, to speaking directly with customers and partners, he has focused his early approach on listening.  

Graeme Thomson, CEO of Ferguson Marine, said: “It is a real privilege to officially join Ferguson Marine as Chief Executive Officer. The yard has a proud history and legacy, and its people are central to its future success. Over the coming months, I look forward to spending more time with colleagues across the business to see what we can do jointly to make things better for Ferguson Marine and, most importantly, secure some new opportunities. 

“I’ve already been really impressed by the overwhelming sense of community here and the passion people speak with – it’s a great yard, in a great site and with a great local community supporting it. We just need to turn it into success.” 

The shipyard's immediate priority under Graeme’s leadership is the build and delivery of MV Glen Rosa along with its efforts to secure work for the shipyard and modernise its infrastructure and equipment.