August Newsletter – Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Corrie McCall, harbours engineer
I joined the Harbour Assets and Planning team within the Port Infrastructure Department at CMAL in late 2021, following nine years with Aberdeenshire Council as Principal Engineer. There, I managed and maintained seven harbours leading a team of 22, and although it was a much smaller scaled operation compared to the infrastructure I work on at CMAL, there are many similarities.
The work we do is vital for remote communities, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenges this brings. I have always been a logical person. When I was younger, I loved working with my grandad to take things apart and fix them. Working at CMAL allows me to do this for a living.
Day in the Life
My role varies greatly, from stakeholder engagement events to mitigating external factors that will affect the harbours. I am the Project Manager for feasibility studies and long-term plans to ensure harbours are fit for purpose and are meeting the needs of the communities they serve going forward. For example, the new vessels being designed as part of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme will require infrastructure improvements, and my role is to identify the works required and develop a plan to ensure the infrastructure is ready for the new vessels when they arrive.
My role also includes working with our Harbour Operator to plan improvements, and when our infrastructure gets damaged, I work with the team at CMAL and our insurance brokers to ensure the Harbours remain operational, repairs are carried out and the costs are recovered for CMAL.
Jim Anderson, director of vessels
As director of vessels, I’m responsible for the vessel’s portfolio at CMAL. I’m a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. I became an executive member of the CMAL Board in 2016.
I have worked in the shipbuilding industry for 40 years, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather who also worked in the yards. The majority of my working life has been spent in yards across Scotland, Asia and mainland Europe. I have been fortunate to have worked in all aspects of the design and build of many vessel types and have worked with some fantastic people along the way.
I joined CMAL in May 2009; at the time the team was looking for someone to develop concept designs for new loch class vessels and for a new vessel for the Stornoway – Ullapool route. The designs for the loch class vessels became the “hybrid ferries”; a pioneering project, and the world’s first passenger/vehicle ferries to combine diesel electric power and lithium-ion battery power.
It’s important to me, and to CMAL, that we support and train the next generation of engineers, and in recent years we have taken on graduates who have developed and grown within the organisation.
Day in the Life
Day to day, I oversee a team of 10 engineers working across a number of projects, including concept designs for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP). Phase One of the SVRP will see the build of seven vessels which will plug into shore power overnight, meaning they will be zero emissions.
Much of my role is about looking to the future, considering our strategic vision for the next five to ten years. This involves consulting with external stakeholders and departments to identify needs, and ensure our plans are aligned to best serve those who rely on the network. I work closely with the rest of the senior management team, developing our procurement strategy for new vessels, the most recent being the contract to build two new ferries for the Islay routes.