Board Members
The BTA Board of Directors is made up of seven men and women who are passionate about Bermuda and bring a wealth of diverse corporate and tourism-related experience:
Wayne Caines, Chair
Wayne Caines, Member of Parliament (MP) for Devonshire North West, is the President of Ascendant Group. Previously, he served as Minister of National Security July 2017 to July 2020, and is a former CEO of Digicel Bermuda. He sits on several boards, including Stevedoring Services and ILS Capital, and is a fraternity member of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. In former Bermuda Government roles, he served as Chief of Staff to the Premier and as a Senator, with responsibilities as the Junior Minister of Tourism, Transport, Environment and Sport. He is a graduate of the University of Kent School of Law, UK, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Stephen Todd, Deputy Chair
Stephen Todd has more than 35 years of experience in the financial services sector, and since 2014 has served as Chief Executive Officer of both the Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA) and the Hotel Employers of Bermuda. He is a past president of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce and Sandys Rotary Club. Todd has also held advisory roles in public policy on issues like immigration, labour and pensions. He is currently Chairman of the Bermuda Deposit Insurance Corporation (BDIC).
Phil Barnett
Phil Barnett is Managing Director and President of the Island Restaurant Group, operator of five restaurants, a brewery and an offsite catering operation. Prior to returning to Bermuda and founding IRG, he worked for the Spectra Group of Great Restaurants in Vancouver, BC. Barnett has served as a board member on the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, ultimately serving a full term as Chamber president. Formerly a member of the Board of Education, he currently sits on the Board of the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts and is a member of the global YPO leadership organisation.
Joseph Best, Jr.
Joseph Best, Jr. holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing degree from Cornell University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Endicott College. He holds certifications in Risk and Information Systems Controls, Information Systems Audit and is a member of ISACA and the Institute of Risk Management. His professional career includes experience at Morgan Stanley, Ernst & Young, the Bermuda Monetary Authority, and the Internal Audit Department of the Bermuda Government. He serves on the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee.
Earl (Butch) Graves, Jr.
Earl (Butch) Graves, Jr. is President & CEO of New York-based multimedia company Black Enterprise. He is responsible for the strategic positioning and overall profitability of the corporation, which includes magazine publishing, television production, digital media, and business and lifestyle events. Graves joined Black Enterprise in 1988, was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1998, and became CEO in 2006. Under his guidance, the company has expanded the reach of its signature magazine to include over four-million readers and successfully launched broadcasts into TV syndication.
Jessica Mello
Jessica Mello is proud to be one of the original 2013 founders of the Bermuda Tourism Authority and the BTA’s longest-serving director. She has worked as an economist on major international tourism projects, including the London Eye, Dubai's Palm Islands, and the Formula 1 circuit at Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi.
Kim Swan
Kim Swan, Member of Parliament (MP) for St George’s West, also serves as Chair of Government Golf Courses in Bermuda. A former Opposition Leader and Opposition Senate Leader, he has been a passionate advocate for tourism for three decades in Bermuda’s Legislature. A professional golfer, he was the first Bermudian to hold membership on the PGA European Golf Tour, is a three-time Bermuda Open Champion, won two NCAA collegiate tournaments, and led Bermuda to the World Cup of Golf in 1984. A radio personality, he also hosts and produces radio broadcasts, including the weekly “Tourism in Focus” show on Magic 102.7FM