Four new members have been appointed to the board of the Bermuda Business Development Agency.

They are Susan Pateras, Barclay Simmons, Marc Telemaque and Leon Thomas.

“We are very pleased to welcome Susan, Barclay, Marc and Leon to the board. Each new member brings with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that complements the skill set of our current board members and we look forward to their contribution,” Paul Scope, chairman of the BDA board, said.

“We are confident they will provide valuable insights, fresh perspectives and vigorous oversight supporting the BDA’s mission to advocate for Bermuda’s economic development domestically and worldwide, encourage inward direct investment to benefit Bermuda’s economy and work with our stakeholders to ensure Bermuda’s legislative and regulatory framework remains the gold standard.”

He added: “We bid a fond farewell to Jessel Mendes, David Cash and Lydia Dickens, all of whom have chosen to retire from the board, and I extend my sincere thanks for the stellar service they have provided. They have been, and continue to be, huge supporters of Bermuda, and the BDA, and we appreciate all of their hard work and commitment.”

Mrs Pateras is an insurance industry expert with more than two decades of experience across London, New York and the Bermuda marketplace. She was appointed chief operations officers of Liberty Specialty Markets (Bermuda) in 2018 and is responsible for driving business support and development, strategic initiatives and operational change across the organisation.

She previously worked as a senior vice-president at Integro Bermuda Ltd and Willis Bermuda Ltd, and was vice-president for Marsh New York’s Global Broking Healthcare Unit. She also serves on the board of the Association of Bermuda International Companies and Ironshore Insurance Ltd.

Mr Simmons was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs in New York and returned to Bermuda in 2006 as managing partner of ASW Law Limited. Previously chairman at Butterfield Bank, he is currently chairman of the Public Funds Investment Committee, with responsibility for advising on the investment of Bermuda’s pension funds, and chairman and CEO at Rose Investment Limited, an advisory firm.

Mr Telemaque was sworn in as Secretary to the Cabinet in 2018, a position he served previously from 2006 to 2010. He has been a member of the Civil Service executive for more than seventeen years. During that time, he has served as Secretary for National Security and Permanent Secretary with the ministries of tourism and transport, public safety and housing and health. He joined the public service as Aide-de-Camp to the Governor in 2000 and was awarded the LVO [Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order] in 2009.

Mr Thomas has spent more than 20 years advising governments and international businesses on policy, regulation and corporate strategy.

As head of the Business Development Unit for the Government of Bermuda, he is responsible for policy and legislative programmes to support and grow the country’s international business sector.

Prior to joining Government, He gained significant experience in North America and the Caribbean working for a multinational professional services firm.