Name: Fran Collins

Position: CEO, Red Funnel

Age: 42

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Civil status and family: Not married, but has a four-legged family of horses, cats, and sheep.

Place of birth: Hampshire, UK

Could you briefly tell us about your career in shipping so far?

I joined Red Funnel as CEO in June 2018, having spent my whole previous career in the Merchant Navy. My early career was spent in nearly every region of the world on tankers, from 1,500-gross-ton product tankers up to 318,000-gross-ton VLCCs. I also spent a fair bit of time on cable lay and repair vessels before joining Condor Ferries in 2002 on an initial six-week contract as Chief Officer, which ultimately turned into promotion to Master, and then ashore into Operations, where I finished my 16 years with the company in the role of Executive Director – Operations.

When and why did you decide to start a seagoing career?

I went to sea at the age of 16 as a Dual Cadet and qualified with both deck and engineering licences in 1997. I found the industry by accident whilst deciding which A-levels to take. Shipping offered the opportunity to be paid whilst training, travel the world, and, at the time, guaranteed a job upon completion of training. So I signed on the dotted line.

What has been your experience so far working in a sector largely dominated by 50-plus-year-old males?

There have been challenges, but in shipping we respect professionalism. Notwithstanding the banter (which is second nature on most ships), I’ve found that the majority of those with whom I’ve worked have been very supportive and my gender hasn’t really been an issue. 

Shouldn’t we have more girl-power, both ashore and at sea?

We do need more girl-power; more than that, we just need more power. It is becoming harder to recruit staff. We need to make our industry attractive to young people, whatever their gender, and ensure that we have an industry that is truly diverse and fit for the future. I’m really concerned that we may see significant shortages of staff at all levels in the future.

Earlier this year you introduced the freight-only RED KESTREL. This was a clever move, as it freed up space on the Raptor Class ro-pax ferries. Has the new ship and concept met your expectations?

RED KESTREL was a concept ship and she’s been a huge success. She’s given us a lot more flexibility, not least by giving us the potential to ship hazardous cargoes at any time, instead of having to operate one of the Raptor Class vessels as a ro-ro only. We’ve had good feedback and RED KESTREL also added resilience to our fleet.

The Southampton-East Cowes link was already the main freight corridor to the Isle of Wight. Has the introduction of a dedicated freighter attracted extra business?

Yes, the additional flexibility offered by RED KESTREL has catered to our customers requirements, and we’ve seen new customers as a result.

The Raptor Class trio was introduced in 1994-96. In 2003-04 an extra car deck was added and, more recently, the passenger accommodation was extended and refurbished. How much longer do you expect the Raptor Class to stay in service?

The Raptor replacement programme is already under consideration. We’ll ensure that our replacement tonnage is aligned with the Maritime 2050 strategy and that we continue to operate in the most sustainable way possible – one of our core imperatives.

Save for RED JET 4, all your ships are UK-built. Would you consider building abroad when replacing the Raptor Class?

We’re very proud of the fact that we have built three vessels in the UK in the last three years. We’re keen to continue supporting UK shipbuilding. Obviously, if circumstances were such that we’d have to look abroad we would do so. We have so much expertise and heritage here; it makes sense to start at home. We put the tender for RED KESTREL out internationally, but the contract was awarded to Cammell Laird who had demonstrated that it was possible to build high-quality vessels at a competitive price domestically.

Because of the Brexit uncertainty passenger volumes have dropped significantly on the Western and Eastern Channel. Have you benefited from a staycation effect? In the long term, will Brexit have an impact on Red Funnel?

We definitely saw an initial staycation effect. We’ve seen a decline in overall consumer confidence since June this year. Whilst, as a domestic operator, Red Funnel isn’t directly affected by Brexit, we are susceptible to market dynamics. The loss of consumer confidence and retail markets gives a level of concern. We’re optimistic that the staycation market will pick up quickly once we have certainty on the future.

What was your favourite ship you worked on?

EUPLECTA – a product tanker based in the Caribbean.

What was your childhood dream job?

Astronaut, with veterinary surgeon as a back-up plan.

What are your favourite pastime activities?

Show jumping and other horse-related activities, as well as clay pigeon shooting.

What is your favourite dinner and drink combination?

I love food in all guises, but a particular favourite would have to be roast rib of beef with a nice red wine.

What are your plans for Christmas?

I’ll try to catch up with family and friends, and fit in plenty of good food and fresh air.

What’s your new year’s wish?

To get the Brexit uncertainty out of the way.