By Carole Dennett
Wightlink’s new CEO is a PR professional – and it shows – although Katy Taylor is quick to point out that she has also run businesses and driven “genuine change” in previous roles at Southern Water and Go Ahead. She also insists that this, the first in what will be regular customer engagement sessions, “is not a PR stunt”.
Instead, she says, it is part of her plan to foster better ties with the Isle of Wight’s community, and she was certainly willing to take on all comers at the event at Quay Arts centre on Wednesday evening.
That included the IW Observer, not known as a beacon of support for our cross-Solent ferry operators.
Unlike another ferry company, whose name almost rhymes with ‘Dead Muffled,’ Katy at least deserves credit for opening up lines of communication.
Acknowledging a historically less-than-ideal relationship with the community, she says she wants to build trust. However, only a few weeks into the role she wants to avoid making premature promises.
“There’s nothing worse than finding out from a newspaper what your boss plans for your job,” she mused. Fair point – however, she says she’ll be happy to answer wider questions later on. Pushed, she suggests early December. That’s in our diary!
Katy’s been busy since taking the helm – she’s toured ships, visited ports, and even dabbled in loading and unloading. “But I’m better at making a cappuccino,” she shared. Whether this varied skillset will solve the eternal missing “essential staff” issue remains to be seen, but she’s certainly adding variety to her new role. On Wednesday she was busy touring the Island, and talking to various organisations before the drop-in consultation meeting.
Commenting on a meeting with the Wightlink User Group, she says she “wanted to hear what they wanted because clearly, they’re very passionate about it.” She’s now going to sit down with her team and think about NHS issues, supporting elderly residents and how to make things better generally for the Island, both short-term and for more “tricky” challenges.
However, she was candid about the financial constraints she faces and was quick to point out that she can’t slash fares or run Fast Cats through the night. Her job, she says, is to juggle everything and work within the constraints of a fixed cost base and generating enough revenue stream to cover those costs.
But where she can, she wants to do more “to support people who are struggling and balance that against other demands”. As it is budget day, I desperately want to enquire whether those struggling are “working people” – but somehow manage not to.
Highlighting mutual benefits to Wightlink and the Island of boosting tourist numbers, she warms to her theme: “If you get more tourists, you get more money and more economic growth – the more economic growth you have the more money you have for social services, care of the elderly, children’s provision, all of those things the Island is desperately crying out for.” Suggesting that lower fares would also help Island businesses build the economy which could perhaps be delivered by Wightlink’s owners taking a smaller slice of the pie would have sounded churlish against Katy’s enthusiasm – so I saved that discussion for early December.
Asked whether she plans to move to the Island, she explained her 16-year-old daughter is doing A-levels, but after that she might move from south west London to the Island or the New Forest.
She claims not to see any possible benefit of a referral to the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), as there are “Three providers all offering a competitive service. I have no idea what a CMA referral would really do.”
The promise of “at least” quarterly public sessions to maintain dialogue and continuous engagement with the community, sounded good. Does Katy’s commitment to that and addressing immediate and deeper systemic issues point to a more harmonious relationship between Wightlink and the Island community? Time will tell but a willingness to engage is a promising start.
