Ian Robertson, who guided the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority to record cruise ship visits and played a key role in tourism for the region over the past seven years, announced Friday he will retire as chief executive early next year.
Robertson, who joined the harbour authority in 2015, will remain until a new CEO is selected in 2023.
Christine Willow, chair of the authority’s board of directors, said Robertson’s leadership has been a “tremendous asset” to the organization, particularly over the past two years when pandemic restrictions were having devastating effects on tourism and the local economy.
“The departure of any leader presents challenges for any organization, but I am confident that we are in a place to begin the next chapter thanks to his hard work and dedication,” Willow said.
The board said under Robertson’s leadership the harbour authority has begun a path toward meaningful reconciliation with the Lekwungen Peoples, improved the facilities it owns through infrastructure development and expansion projects, and sustainably managed the cruise industry.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Robertson has worked with business leaders to advocate for support for the tourism industry in the region. He also played a key role in the safe resumption of the cruise industry in Canada through his advocacy efforts at a municipal, provincial, and federal level with both industry and government partners.
“Leading this organization has been the ultimate career highlight for me, and I am proud of the work that has been accomplished and the team that I have had the privilege to work with everyday,” Robertson said in a statement.
Robertson said it’s time to spend more time with his wife, Pam, sons and a soon-to-arrive grandson.
Robertson’s decades-long career included roles with the Tourism Industry Association of B.C. and Rocky Mountaineer. He also served two terms as an elected park commissioner with the City of Vancouver and as chair of the Vancouver Parks Board, where he led the recovery and restoration efforts following a windstorm that significantly damaged the seawall and saw the loss of thousands trees in Stanley Park.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority board of directors will issue a request for proposals for an executive search firm to undertake the recruiting and hiring process.
The authority owns and operates several high-profile community assets, including the Ogden Point Breakwater, Inner Harbour lower causeway, Ship Point and customs dock at Raymur Point. Among its commercial and marine industrial holdings are the deep-water port at the Breakwater District at Ogden Point, Fisherman’s Wharf and four Inner Harbour marinas.
The non-profit organization is governed by a 13-member board of directors, represented by four independent community members and eight member agencies — Esquimalt Nation, Songhees Nation, Capital Regional District, City of Victoria, Township of Esquimalt, the Victoria Chamber, Victoria Esquimalt Harbour Society and Destination Greater Victoria.
