Red Funnel’s operations director, Leanna Lakes, is to leave the company next year, it has been confirmed.
Leanna joined the cross-Solent operator in February 2020 and has been described as an ‘integral part of the team’, steering the company through COVID and spearheading a focus on operational excellence and sustainability.
However, the 46-year-old has often come under fire – rightly or wrongly – for being seldom seen due to being based in Leven, Scotland.
It is thought that Leanna will be taking up a new role as the Chief Operating Officer of the RNLI in Spring 2025.
Island Echo is told that Leanna will be continuing in her role at Red Funnel during her notice period until her departure in early 2025.
A replacement is already being sought by Red Funnel with the recruitment process underway.
Fran Collins, CEO of Red Funnel, has said:
“Whilst we will miss Leanna greatly, we respect and support her choice to develop her career with such a great opportunity, especially in a charity which is so close to our own hearts here at Red Funnel.
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Doesn’t seem she did much to improve operations here. Dread Funnels gain is the RNLI’s loss.
As an op’s director, you can only work with what you have. A company that has a poor balance sheet and is loss making… has no money to spend, so how can you effect change?
If you’re a driven individual, banging your head against a wall because you can’t make the changes that you can see the business needs, then of course you’re going to move jobs. Good luck to her.
Red Funnel will be in Administration soon I reckon. Sly move changing their year end by a day so they can legally delay the filing of their accounts. Their next accounts are going to be grim me thinks.
They shortened the last period, which means that all subsequenrt periods must adhere to the new, earlier date, or a shorter one. Just as they did two years ago. Not sure how that would help them, unless the accountants normally go to the Bahamas for New Year?
Shortening their period allows them to delay the filing of their accounts by 3 months. They can make their accounts up to any date within 7 days of their accounting reference date so actually they keep their financial year the same. This move was solely done to gain 3 extra months for filing. As you correctly say they did this 2 years ago. This was also due to financial issues. The shareholders pumped in an extra £20 million of loans then before they then filed their accounts at the end of the 3 month extension. This is so that the accounts can be filed on a going concern basis. It is a fairly safe bet that their auditors weren’t prepared to sign their accounts off as a going concern now, or 2 years ago without extra funding being put in place.
So another one’s taken to the lifeboat …
But an ‘integral part of the team’ – what team? Most of the Board has already left.
Ye i bet get’s a lovely lump sum payoff large pension and had 4 good year’s of high salary..just all the others to go now..and sell it off.
Truly jumped ship, from one ferry service to another ferry service.
Having just travelled over on the 5:20, there was palpable jubilation amongst both the onboard crew and shoreside staff. Talk of celebratory drinks was mentioned by more than one of the Red Funnel staff.
Obviously she will not be missed by her staff and her customers will join those celebrating. Her incompetence has brought this company to its operational knees.
Good riddance!
Nothing to go overboard about, just reduce
Ferry Fares.
God help the RNLI. How long before she deems the maintenance of their vessels a pointless waste of money and lets them break down in mid rescue, rather than spend on prevention?