Former Toll executive Chris Carbone has been announced as the new CEO of Spirit of Tasmania operator TT-Line, and will take the role over from acting CEO Kim Sayers on May 12, 2025.
Carbone has replaced former incumbent Bernard Dwyer in the role, who stepped down upon the expiration of his contract in November following protracted issues regarding the delay to the construction of berth upgrades in Devonport and the resulting fallout with storing the Spirit of Tasmania IV in Scotland.
The addition of the Spirit of Tasmania IV and V to the TT-Line fleet is set to be a gamechanger for the transport and logistics sector in Tasmania, among other industries, due to the vessels’ considerably larger lane space to fit transport vehicles, and greater freight capacity.
Tasmanian Minister for Transport praised Carbone’s experience ahead of his commencement of the role.
“Mr Carbone’s experience and knowledge will be vital to the future success of TT-Line,” Abetz says.
Carbone has spent over six years with Toll Group in a variety of roles, including Chief Financial Officer in 2021 and 2022 and President of its Resources and Industrials Division since 2022.
He also has extensive executive experience at the likes of Coles Group, Linfox and Fairfax Media, and was Group Chief Operating Officer of shipping company Sea Swift for a short time in 2015.
Dwyer, TT-Line Chair Michael Grainger, TasPorts Chair Stephen Bradford and Infrastructure Minister Michael Fergusson have all resigned from their positions due to backlash over the perceived mismanagement of the construction of port upgrades at Devonport and the procurement of the two new vessels.
The berth was expected to be ready for the arrival of the Spirit IV, however it is now unlikely to be operational until 2027 and has already risen by at least $90 million.
The Spirit IV will no longer be stored in Scotland and is set to make the journey from Leith to Tasmania in May.
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