BTA weighs public interest on release of settlement data
A decision has yet to be made by the Bermuda Tourism Authority on whether access to information about spending on any settlement packages or separation agreements for former employees is in the public interest.
Records released to The Royal Gazette confirmed that 30 people left the organisation in just over 2½ years.
The departures included 23 staff members who resigned or left through mutual separation between June 1, 2022 and January 8, 2025.
The figures showed that four others had their employment terminated in that time, while one did not pass a probationary period, another reached the end of a fixed-term contract and there was a single redundancy.
They were released last week in response to a public access to information request, which was made by the Gazette after the BTA’s former chairman confirmed that a third-party culture review was launched into the organisation’s workplace environment.
Tracy Berkeley, the chief executive, said last night that findings and recommendations from the independent third party were received by the BTA’s executive team on Thursday.
She added: “The next step is to ensure that our staff — the people most critical to the organisation — are fully informed.
“To promote transparency and internal alignment, a comprehensive presentation will first be made to the entire BTA team.
“Once this key step is completed, the board, which sanctioned the cultural review, will determine the appropriate next steps in collaboration with leadership.
“This includes implementing the recommendations and deciding when and how the report will be made public.”
The Gazette’s Pati request sought information about expenditure for settlement packages or separation agreements to former employees of the BTA from January 1, 2022 to present.
It added: “Please provide a breakdown to show each individual payment and state at what level was the role of the employee who received the payment.”
The information officer responded last Wednesday: “In accordance with section 15 of the Pati Act, we confirm that the BTA is undertaking internal consultation regarding whether access to the requested information is in the public interest.
“The BTA will provide a substantive response to this request on or before April 2, 2025.”
A spokeswoman for the authority said last night that the requested records were likely to contain personal and commercially sensitive information as well as information received in confidence and related to the operations of a public authority.
She explained: “Under the Public Access to Information Act, such records are exempt from disclosure unless their release is determined to be in the public interest.
“The BTA must carefully consider the rights of third parties and the authority before disclosing any such information.
“This process may require internal consultation and/or consultation with the Information Commissioner to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory obligations.”
In an e-mail last December, seen by the Gazette, Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, asked the BTA board for a written report of the expenditure for settlement packages or separation agreements to former employees over the three years to December 31, 2024.
He was asked last week, through the Government’s Department of Communications, whether he received the information as requested.
A response from the Government yesterday did not answer that question.
The Gazette reported in September that the tourism minister took “very seriously” concerns about alleged high staff attrition and other personnel matters at the BTA, and that he had asked the authority’s board to address the issues “as a matter of priority”.
Of the 23 people who resigned or left the organisation through mutual separation, seven were from June 1 to December 31, 2022, six were in 2023 and ten were in 2024.
Ms Berkeley said last night: “Employee attrition is always a concern, as we value the contributions of our team members and recognise the impact that turnover can have on continuity and morale.
“That said, attrition isn’t always a sign of a negative work environment.
“People move on for a variety of reasons — career growth, personal changes or new opportunities — and while we strive to create an environment where employees feel supported and engaged, we also respect that change is a natural part of any organisation.
“In some cases, attrition allows for fresh perspectives, innovation and internal growth opportunities.
“Our focus remains on understanding why employees leave, ensuring their experience here is positive and continually improving our workplace culture."
A BTA spokeswoman added that when Ms Berkeley became interim CEO in June 2022, Bermuda was still under pandemic-related travel restrictions and “the tourism sector was in a fragile state”.
She said: “At that time, the BTA had been without a sales or marketing lead for months — two critical roles in any destination-marketing organisation.
“Staff had endured a period of slashed salaries through the first part of the pandemic.
“The immediate priority was to stabilise the team, execute the strategic recovery plan, and support hoteliers and the wider stakeholder community.
“Launching a brand campaign that reflected the realities of Bermuda’s tourism industry was essential.”
She said: “Since its inception nearly 11 years ago, the BTA has had five, including one interim, CEOs and seven ministers, plus junior ministers, responsible for tourism.
“This level of leadership transition presents inherent challenges, including impacts on long-term stability and staff retention.
“However, the organisation remains focused on strengthening its team, refining its approach to talent development and fostering a resilient organisational culture.
“The BTA continues to attract, develop and retain top talent, ensuring it remains a strong advocate for Bermuda’s tourism industry.
“While change is inevitable, through strategic leadership and a clear vision, the organisation is positioned to drive long-term success.”
Mr Darrell’s strongly worded e-mail in December, when he threatened to dismantle the BTA board if it failed to comply with his instructions, came after the departure of Hazel Clark, who had been the authority’s director of global business development and partnerships.
It was understood that another employee gave notice of their intention to resign at about the same time.
Wayne Caines confirmed last month, when he was chairman of the authority, that a “third-party culture review” was initiated in the last quarter of 2024.
The BTA spokeswoman said last night that the review had been received and reviewed by the tourism minister as well as the board.
A government spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that Mr Darrell had met the board.
She added that he was "advised of the summary of the findings“ of the report.
The government spokeswoman said: “It should be clarified that the BTA board is responsible for the report. And the minister has sought clarity from the BTA on what information will be issued publicly.”
It was confirmed on Friday that Mr Caines had resigned as chairman of the tourism authority’s board, a position he held since 2020.
The latest organisational chart for the BTA, dated this month, showed seven vacant posts out of 42 in total.
Since the tenure of the organisation’s first chief executive, Bill Hanbury, ended in December 2016, four others have held the top job.
Kevin Dallas’s appointment began in January 2017, followed by Glenn Jones in an interim capacity between March 2020 and March 2021.
Charles H. Jeffers II took the job between April 2021 and June 2022, after which Ms Berkeley became interim CEO and was later confirmed in the substantive position, which she continues to hold.
Like the tourism minister’s call for information from the BTA board, the Gazette’s Pati request sought a breakdown of all payments made to outside counsel for legal and administrative services from January 1, 2023 to the date of the request on January 8 this year.
The BTA response showed that $433,689.67 was spent in five payments to four law firms, with the largest expenses being $215,667 to Carey Olsen Bermuda and $115,261 to Morgan Lewis, for legal counsel on the island and in the US respectively.
Payments of $45,732 and $54,832.67 were made to Carey Olsen and Quorum respectively, both for corporate secretarial fees, while a $2,197 payment to MJM was listed simply as “legal”.
The Pati response also disclosed a record of all payments made to other consultancy firms or agencies that provided services to the BTA from January 1, 2023 onwards.
It had 32 entries, which totalled about $25.67 million.
Among the figures was a $47,500 payment to EY Bermuda for a “culture review”.
The highest spend listed was about $13.07 million to Miles Partnership — an international digital marketing firm with which the BTA has worked for years — for “media purchasing”.
A BTA spokeswoman said yesterday: “Miles Partnership secures premium media placements on our behalf by leveraging bulk-buying power and strong industry relationships.
“Instead of paying standard rates for one-off adverts, we benefit from negotiated packages that offer better pricing and prime positioning across multiple media outlets.
“The BTA engages them for such purchases and reimburses them accordingly.”
She added: “For example, through Miles Partnership, Bermuda secures high-impact exposure in top-tier publications like Esquire, Town & Country and Harper’s Bazaar — integrating print, digital banners, editorial collaborations and video placements that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive.
“Similar strategies extend to Garden & Gun and The Telegraph, where a mix of paid and organic content ensures broad, engaged audiences.
“These strategic partnerships allow us to maximise our marketing budget, delivering high-value storytelling and enhanced brand visibility across influential media platforms.”
The spokeswoman said that the figure listed in the Pati response included “fees and reimbursements for media placements and partnerships made on our behalf by Miles over two years”.
• For the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s Pati response, see Related Media
You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote.
