Vance Campbell said today he was looking forward to being consulted on the appointment of a new chief executive for the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

The Minister of Tourism was asked at a press conference when he expected the successful candidate for the six-figure salary position to be named, after the departure of Charles Jeffers II in June.

Mr Campbell replied: “Once the board deem themselves to be in a position whereby they have someone in mind or they wish to hire a new CEO or appoint someone, they are required … under the [Bermuda Tourism Authority] Act to consult with the minister and I look forward to that consultation.”

He was asked if he agreed with the BTA board’s decision, revealed by The Royal Gazette in September, to fill the role internally or if he would prefer a global recruitment drive, as happened previously for that position.

The minister said: “The Act is quite clear on what the requirements are for the CEO position and I’m sure the board is well aware of the requirements of the Act.”

Mr Jeffers left the publicly funded quango five months ago for reasons which have not been made public. He had been in the post for little more than a year.

Chief administration officer Tracy Berkeley was appointed interim CEO and there appears to have been no advertisement for the top job since. The BTA refused to share the advert when asked by the Gazette.

Last month, sources questioned whether Ms Berkeley had the right credentials for the role, having never worked in marketing before.

The sources asked if the criteria for the position had changed since the CEO job was last advertised in early 2021, because Ms Berkeley did not appear to meet the list of job requirements issued then.

The BTA declined to comment last month and has yet to respond to a request today for an update on the CEO recruitment process.

Mr Campbell was also asked at the press conference — held regarding tourism initiatives in the Throne Speech — about the post of global director of communications, PR and content development at the BTA.

New York-based Kiwan Anderson took on the job in September, according to his LinkedIn profile, having previously worked for Nike Communications, in the same city.

The Gazette asked if the job had been advertised in Bermuda before Mr Anderson was appointed.

Mr Campbell said responsibility for personnel, including hiring decisions, did not lie with him but with the BTA’s chief executive officer.

Mr Anderson appears to have replaced Amy Moynihan, who was appointed in January this year and left after a few months.

The BTA has yet to respond to questions today about that position or her departure.