In the wake of a provincial election that changed the political weather in British Columbia, the chief executive of BC Ferries, Nicolas Jimenez, has stepped aside, and the company's vice-president of strategy, Brian Anderson, now steers the ships as interim leader. The change arrives with a broader promise of reflection, a revitalization review meant to answer public calls for safe and reliable crossings. Behind it lies an old and familiar tension: how a public service balances the cost of renewing its fleet against the demands of politics, trade and trust, and how much of a decision can be re
BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez Out as Board Launches Leadership Review
Out as CEO, two days after the election
Mark
So what actually happened here? A CEO left, but the wording is careful.
Mimi
Right. The board calls it a leadership transition. Jimenez is out, Brian Anderson, the vice-president of strategy and planning, is interim CEO immediately, and a revitalization review is underway.
Mark
And the timing matters?
Luke
It's notable, but let's be precise. The exit came two days after the B.C. Conservatives won the election. The Conservatives had called for his firing a year earlier. The release doesn't say the election caused this.
Mimi
Fair. The board's stated reason for the review is growing demands for safe, reliable service. It doesn't mention the contract or the election.
Mark
What was the contract?
Mimi
A $1-billion deal with China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards, a Chinese state-owned company, to build four new vessels to replace the oldest ships.
Mark
What did Jimenez say about it?
Mimi
He told a House of Commons committee there were six compliant bids, all foreign. Two Canadian yards pre-qualified but neither submitted a proposal.
Luke
That's his account, though. The reporting here doesn't independently verify the bidding details.
Mark
And board chair Joy MacPhail?
Luke
The Conservatives demanded her removal too. Nothing in this report says what happens to her. That's unknown.
Mimi
And whether the review will reopen the shipbuilding contract is also unanswered.
El Pulso
- The Conservatives' demand for Jimenez's firing, fueled by a $1-billion contract with a Chinese state-owned shipyard, has pushed the ferry corporation into the center of a political storm.
- Board chair Joy MacPhail is now also in the crosshairs, accused of a 'complete failure of judgment' while Canada and China are locked in a trade dispute.
- Brian Anderson has taken the helm as interim CEO effective immediately, steadying operations while the leadership question is unsettled.
- A board revitalization review is underway, with a search for a permanent CEO waiting on its outcome.
- Whether the review reopens the four-vessel shipbuilding deal remains the unresolved question that will shape the company's course.
In the wake of a provincial election that changed the political weather in British Columbia, the chief executive of BC Ferries, Nicolas Jimenez, has stepped aside, and the company's vice-president of strategy, Brian Anderson, now steers the ships as interim leader. The change arrives with a broader promise of reflection, a revitalization review meant to answer public calls for safe and reliable crossings. Behind it lies an old and familiar tension: how a public service balances the cost of renewing its fleet against the demands of politics, trade and trust, and how much of a decision can be revisited once the sea has already chosen its course.
Nicolas Jimenez is no longer chief executive of BC Ferries. The board announced the change in an Oct. 26, 2026 release, calling it a leadership transition. Brian Anderson, the company's vice-president of strategy and planning, becomes interim CEO at once, and the board has launched a revitalization review aimed at the growing public demand for safe, reliable service. A permanent successor will be sought only after that review concludes.
The timing draws attention. The exit came two days after the B.C. Conservatives won the provincial election. The party had called for Jimenez's firing over a $1-billion contract, awarded the year before, to build four new vessels at China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards, a Chinese state-owned company. The Conservatives also want board chair Joy MacPhail removed, arguing that the pair showed a complete failure of judgment by proceeding while Canada was in a trade dispute with China. Whether MacPhail's position has changed is not yet known.
Jimenez had defended the procurement before a House of Commons committee. He told MPs that six compliant bids came in to replace the four oldest ships, all from foreign countries, and that two Canadian yards pre-qualified but did not submit. The company chose the offer with the best mix of value, quality, delivery speed and customer protections. Jimenez came to BC Ferries from ICBC, the provincial auto insurer, where he had also led as president and CEO.
What remains open is how far the review will reach, and whether it will revisit the shipbuilding contract at the heart of the controversy. Until it answers that, BC Ferries will be steered by an interim leader.
Nicolas Jimenez is no longer the chief executive of BC Ferries. The company's board announced the change in a news release dated Oct. 26, 2026, describing it as a "leadership transition." Brian Anderson, the company's vice-president of strategy and planning, takes over as interim CEO, effective immediately.
The board did not stop at a change of personnel. The same release says directors have started what they call a "revitalization review," meant to address growing demands for safe, reliable service. A search for a permanent successor will follow once that review is done. The release says the board appreciates Jimenez for his contributions to the company.
The timing stands out. Jimenez's exit comes two days after the B.C. Conservatives won the provincial election. The party had called for his firing the year before, after BC Ferries awarded a $1-billion contract to build four new vessels to a Chinese state-owned company, China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards.
The Conservatives did not limit their criticism to Jimenez. They also demanded the removal of board chair Joy MacPhail. In their view, she and Jimenez had shown "a complete failure of judgment" by pushing ahead with the contract while Canada was in a trade dispute with China. The source does not say whether MacPhail's position has changed.
Jimenez defended the procurement when he appeared before the House of Commons transport committee last year. He said BC Ferries received six compliant bids to replace its four oldest ships, and that all six came from foreign countries. Two Canadian shipyards had pre-qualified for the competition, he told MPs, but neither chose to formally submit a proposal.
He said the company picked the bid offering the best combination of value, quality, delivery speed and protections for customers.
Jimenez came to BC Ferries from another large provincial institution. He was previously president and CEO of ICBC, the provincial auto insurer.
What remains open is how far the revitalization review will reach, and whether it will revisit the shipbuilding contract that drew the political fire. The permanent CEO search waits on its outcome, so BC Ferries will be run by an interim leader for at least that long.
Citas Notables
The Conservatives said board chair Joy MacPhail and Jimenez showed 'a complete failure of judgment' by advancing the China contract despite the trade dispute.— B.C. Conservatives
The company chose the bid offering the best combination of value, quality, delivery speed and customer protections.— Nicolas Jimenez, to the House of Commons transport committee
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