Routes & Operators
Hullo Ferries names Louisa Bell chief executive from January
Vancouver Island Ferry Company has named Louisa Bell chief executive of Hullo Ferries from January. She has been chief commercial officer of P&O Ferries. Acting chief executive Marco Ahrens continues as general manager of the Nanaimo–Vancouver service.
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (opens in a new tab)
The Nanaimo News Bulletin reported on 11 October 2026 that Vancouver Island Ferry Company has announced Louisa Bell as its new chief executive officer beginning in January. She takes over from acting chief executive Marco Ahrens, who will continue as general manager of the Nanaimo–Vancouver foot-passenger ferry service.
The company's press release, as reported by the Bulletin, said Bell was most recently chief commercial officer of P&O Ferries, an operator in Europe responsible for transporting 4.3 million passengers every year. Her duties there included customer strategy, brand, sales, marketing, pricing, revenue management and distribution, as well as the onboard proposition and service delivery.
Bell said: "In such a short space of time, the team has already built a service that people on both sides of the Strait value, connecting Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver quickly and comfortably." She said she is looking forward to getting to know the team, building on that as the service grows, and to making Vancouver Island her home.
Julien Eaton, a board member of InfraRed Capital Partners, which holds a majority of shares in Vancouver Island Ferry Company, said: "She has spent her career leading businesses where reliability, safety and the passenger experience are paramount."