Seaspan Makes Leadership Moves

Seaspan Ferries

Steve Roth has been promoted to President of Seaspan Ferries Corporation (SFC). In this position, Steve will continue to have the primary accountability for the overall performance of the SFC business unit, including management of day-to-day operations of SFC, as well as the short and long-term strategic planning processes, including setting and fulfilling revenue and profitability targets and maintaining relationships with all stakeholders. He is also responsible for ensuring that customer service expectations are met or exceeded while ensuring the safe operation of SFC’s vessels, its terminals and its people. In addition, Steve joins Seaspan’s Executive Leadership Team and will participate in establishing Seaspan’s overall strategy and direction.  

 Steve originally joined the company almost 12 years ago in April 2005, serving as Vice President, Fleet Logistics – Seaspan Marine. Following that, he held positions as Vice President, Business Development – Seaspan Marine and most recently as Vice President – SFC. During his time at Seaspan, Steve has set a consistent standard of excellence in everything he’s done, including the most recent construction and delivery of SFC’s two new LNG vessels on-time and on-budget and the soon-to-be completed terminal modernizations. 

Vancouver Shipyards

Paul Thomas has been promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager – Vancouver Shipyards (VSY). In this new role, Paul will continue to be an integral member of and contributor to Seaspan’s Senior Leadership Team and will have overall accountability for VSY operations, engineering, project planning, performance, execution, profitability and client satisfaction, while exercising full authority to manage and administer all facets of the VSY business.

Paul joined the company in April 2014 as Director – Ship Construction and was promoted shortly thereafter to Vice President – Engineering. Prior to joining VSY, he spent the majority of his career at BAE Systems in Melbourne, Australia, where he held various executive management roles. He has more than 20 years of experience in the shipbuilding and heavy project construction industries, and has worked on a number of major shipbuilding programs including the ANZAC Frigate, Air Warfare Destroyer and Landing Helicopter Dock Programs for the Australian Navy, as well as Project Protector for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Since joining VSY, Paul has consistently strived for excellence in efficiency and customer services and has been a strong proponent for process improvement and effectively troubleshooting some of our most challenging issues during start-up of the FFR non-combat contracts. 

With his promotion to SVP and GM, Paul is pleased to announce the promotion of John Petticrew to Vice President, Engineering. John now serves on Seaspan’s Senior Leadership Team and is accountable for engineering and design on all new construction activities. Key responsibilities include leading the engineering team in the creation of designs and work packages for the execution of new construction work as well as directing the development and maintenance of engineering standards. This role also carries the critical importance of directing the ongoing management of key subcontractor relationships, including Tier 1 partners, who play an integral role in the design process. 

John has a long career in shipbuilding and infrastructure construction with over 39 years of experience, spanning three different continents. He joined the company from Gulf Marine Services W.L.L. in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Prior to that, he acted in a senior leadership capacity for energy and drydock companies in the Middle East. And, before that, he served in a number of different roles over the course of three decades at Saint John Shipbuilding in New Brunswick, including 16 years at Irving Shipbuilding.

Andy Hale has been promoted to the position of Vice President – Program Delivery. In this role, Andy is responsible for the execution and delivery of large, complex shipbuilding contracts and programs. He is also accountable for the profit and loss performance of each project and has full authority to manage and administer all facets of each new construction program.

Andy joined Vancouver Shipyards (VSY) in August 2014 as Program Director – Joint Support Ship (JSS). Andy joined the company from the Naval Reactors Headquarters in Washington, DC, where he worked as Program Manager – Prototype/Moored Training Ship Operations, Maintenance and Inactivations.  Prior to that, he worked as a Program Manager - Head, Submarine Security & Technology for Chief Naval Operations also in Washington, DC. He has also served as a Commanding Officer on the USS Sante Fe, a Deputy Commander for Submarine Squadron Fifteen, a Commanding Officer on the USS San Francisco, and a Major Commander/Commanding Officer on the USS Ohio. Andy graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, and earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

John Lyle has been hired as Vice President – Operations. In this role, John is responsible for the oversight and direction of all operations, manufacturing, ship construction, performance improvement and Accuracy/Quality control in support of new vessel construction while meeting cost, schedule, quality, safety and environmental goals. He will also provide leadership to production trades and is also responsible for the profit and loss performance for VSY’s vessel repair business.

John’s shipbuilding career is in its 50th year and he takes great pride in the role he is playing in coaching and mentoring the next generation of Canadian shipbuilders. Over the past 49 years, he has participated in well over 150 sea trials, as part of the construction and delivery of 97 ships of all types and sizes (including combat and non-combat vessels).  He began his career at 16 years old as an Engineering Apprentice with Scotts Shipbuilding Company in Greenock, Scotland. In 1981, he moved to Lockheed Shipbuilding Company in Seattle, Washington where he served as a Steel Erection Manager, Ships Superintendent and Shipyard Manager. In 1988, John was recruited by NASSCO in San Diego as a Steel Assembly Manager. He held a variety of positions at NASSCO throughout the years, eventually becoming Director of Ship’s Management. John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Architecture in 1973 from the Paisley College of Technology in Scotland. He also completed postgraduate work in Shipyard Production Technology and Industrial Management at the University of Washington.