The Bermuda Insurance Institute named of Tania Stafford as its next director of education and training.

Peter Doyles, who has held the position for the past nine and a half years, will retire at the end of this year.

Ms Stafford joins the BII from the Bermuda High School for Girls, where she was head of the secondary school.

Formerly she worked as a teacher at both the Berkeley and Whitney Institutes and as a Planning Officer for the Bermuda Government.

Ms Stafford was educated in Bermuda at Warwick Academy, the Bermuda High School and the Bermuda College.

She is a graduate of the University of Exeter where she was awarded Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees.

In 1991 she was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Town and Regional Planning from the University of Sheffield and from 1994 until 2001 she was a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

BII president Elspeth Brewin said: "Tania's extensive experience in education across both the private and public sectors will ensure that the BII has a very valuable resource to offer students of insurance, whatever their backgrounds.

"In addition, her experience gained whilst working for the Bermuda Government in the Department of Planning broadens the range of administrative abilities available to the Institute and positions the BII very neatly at the crossroads of further education and the fulfilment of professional qualifications.

"The smooth transition from Peter to Tania will ensure that the BII continues to meet the aims of the Bermuda community to ensure that opportunities in the insurance industry are available to all.

"The entire Council of the BII extend a warm welcome to Tania; we are sure she will be a tremendous asset to the Institute and the entire Bermuda market."

The Bermuda Insurance Institute is a registered charity, funded by its insurance industry members.

The Institute offers courses and serves as an internationally recognised examination centre for insurance and insurance-related studies.

It also encourages discussion of industry matters and other interaction among industry participants and provides information to the media on the state of the Bermuda insurance market.

The BII currently has over 500 students attending classes to obtain professional insurance qualifications.

The Director of Education and Training is responsible for assessing the overall education and training needs of the member companies and ensuring that the programmes and seminars offered are current and relevant in today's business environment.

Ms Stafford takes up her new post on November 1.