The Hon E. David Burt, JP, MP
Premier and Minister of Finance
Email: dburt@parliament.bm
Premier the Hon. E. David Burt, JP,
MP, served as Bermuda’s 13th Premier and made history as the youngest person
ever elected to the office when he became Premier in 2017 at the age of 38. Born
and raised in Bermuda, Premier Burt graduated from Florida Air Academy, where
he earned his private pilot’s licence as a teenager. He later attended George
Washington University in Washington, D.C., graduating cum laude with a Bachelor
of Business Administration with a double major in Finance and Information
Systems. He was awarded the George Washington University Presidential
Administrative Fellowship and during the fellowship, received a Master of
Science in Information Systems Development.
In 2009, he earned his Project Management Professional (PMP)
certification. Following his studies, he returned home to Bermuda and, in 2004,
founded GMD Consulting Limited, an information technology consulting company
specialising in project management and technology solutions. He served as the
company’s President until 2016. He also co-founded HITCH Limited and was the
lead developer of the award-winning HITCH mobile application, which modernised
taxi booking services in Bermuda.
Premier Burt was first elected to the
House of Assembly in 2012 as the Member of Parliament for Pembroke West Central
(Constituency 18). He was appointed Shadow Minister of Finance and subsequently
served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition before being elected Leader of the
Progressive Labour Party in November 2016. In July 2017, following the
Progressive Labour Party’s General Election victory, he became Bermuda’s 13th
Premier. As Leader of the Progressive Labour Party, he led the Party to three
consecutive General Election victories in 2017, 2020, and 2025, becoming the
first Progressive Labour Party Leader to achieve this milestone.
Under Premier Burt’s leadership,
Bermuda introduced its first statutory minimum wage, strengthened employment
protections, reduced payroll taxes for workers, increased seniors’ pensions
annually in line with inflation, expanded affordable housing initiatives,
launched the Mortgage Guarantee Programme to assist first-time homebuyers,
increased investments in education and workforce development, affordable
housing, public infrastructure and enhanced support for vulnerable members of
the community. In addition, as Minister of Finance, he led the Government of
Bermuda to achieve its first budget surplus in more than 20 years, reduced
public debt, and strengthened the country's fiscal position. During his tenure
as Premier, Bermuda also navigated some of the most significant challenges in
its modern history. Most notably, he led Bermuda through the COVID-19 pandemic,
guiding the country through an unprecedented global health and economic crisis
while implementing measures to protect public health, support workers and
businesses, preserve jobs, and maintain economic stability. Bermuda emerged
from the pandemic with one of the strongest economic recoveries in the world.
As an advocate for innovation and
economic diversification, Premier Burt played a leading role in establishing
Bermuda as a globally recognised jurisdiction for digital finance and emerging
technologies. Bermuda became one of the first jurisdictions to implement a
regulatory framework for digital finance businesses, a move that has since
attracted international investment while maintaining Bermuda’s reputation as a
trusted and well-regulated financial centre. Premier Burt also led Bermuda
through significant international tax reform, implementing the country's first
Corporate Income Tax in response to the OECD's Global Minimum Tax. Through
extensive consultation with industry, the Government introduced a comprehensive
regime that keeps this revenue in Bermuda rather than ceding it to other
jurisdictions. While many competitors were slower to respond or chose not to
act at all, Bermuda acted decisively and is now using CIT proceeds responsibly
to pay down historic levels of national debt and provide financial buffers for
the future.
Serving for nearly a decade, Premier
Burt became the second-longest-serving Premier in Bermuda’s history, providing
continuity and stability during a period marked by global uncertainty, economic
disruption, and technological change. Throughout his public service, Premier
Burt served on numerous boards and organisations, including the Bermuda Tourism
Board, the National Training Board, the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, and the Bermuda
Economic Development Corporation. He is a proud member of Western Stars Sports
Club, the Devonshire Recreation Club and the Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club. Premier
Burt was initiated into the Nu Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
Incorporated, in the Spring of 1998. Premier Burt and his wife, Kristin, have
been married since 2012 and are the proud parents of two children, Nia and
Edward.