Deborah Middleton has resigned as chief executive officer of the Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) to pursue a literary career.

No successor has named to replace the outgoing BIBA CEO but the position is expected to be advertised today.

Ms Middelton will be leaving the Island in May and will being going to Mallorca, Spain to pursue a literary career.

She said the the move has no connection with Government?s decision not to increase the $1.65 million grant to BIBA as Government intends to play a greater role in marketing Bermuda as an international finance centre.

?I had been planning this for a while and I always wanted a base in Europe and Mallorca is sophisticated and cosmopolitan Island similar to Bermuda,? she said this week.

Ms Middleton said during her tenure BIBA had increased its media exposure including broadcast and print media, along with the overseas Bermuda Briefing?s and working with industry partners to steer clients to the Island.

?I think my biggest achievement was the fact we were able to lobby Government to go to Switzerland and resolve the problem with the funds sector and the EU (European Union) Savings Directive.?

?BIBA?s brand is very strong and I am proud at what we have been able to achieve as a small team and we would couldn?t have this without our members.?

?We have raised awareness that Bermuda is not just engaged in insurance. We have a thriving and growing trust and funds area and these are areas we can develop.?

?The Japanese are interested in us because of our reputation and some of India?s funds have expressed an interest in Bermuda and listing on the Bermuda Stock Exchange.?

She said an ongoing challenge is educating serious newspapers on misconceptions about Bermuda and highlight the attributes of the Island as a sophisticated financial centre.

?We have had to educate them that we are not in the Caribbean, not a tax haven or on any blacklist and we are OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) compliant. This is a drum we have to keep banging.?

Ms Middleton joined BIBA as CEO in July 2003 and in an interview with in that year she said: ?Locally there is a cross-section of Bermudians who feel disenfranchised by international business because they don?t feel they have a role to play in it.?

When asked if Bermudians continue to feel this way she responded this week: ?We have worked extremely hard on the local awareness side and young people are very aware of the opportunities out there in international business and by extension their parents have become aware.

?A lot of Bermudians know a lot about international business and when you are using the media you start reaching people in the schools and it has a ripple effect.

?I think Bermudians are much more aware of the opportunities out there. There are many different organisations offering scholarships and they do their own marketing as well as us but an ongoing problem we must address is those students not graduating from high school.?

Ms Middleton said not enough high school students are graduating and to be employable in international business, a good level of education is required.

?This industry is a sophisticated business and we are competing at a global level and we have to work to global standards and we have to have an educated and skilled workforce.?