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David J. Saul , the former Premier and Minister of Finance of Bermuda, brings extensive political, diplomatic and business expertise to Odyssey's Board of Directors. In 1972, Dr. Saul became Bermuda's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, a post he held for 5 years. He then went on to serve another 5 years as Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. In 1982, he left the Civil Service and involved himself in a number of senior management positions in local and international businesses. For 15 years Dr. Saul held the senior post in Bermuda of the investment giant Fidelity Investments. He retired from the firm in 1999, but remains a Director of Fidelity's main international Board, and a Director of some 40 other Fidelity Companies around the world - including the U.K., Bermuda, Jersey, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, Luxembourg and Taiwan Dr. Saul's professional and political activities include two stints as a Director of the Bermuda Monetary Authority, from 1987-89 and from 1997-1999. He currently serves as a Director of Lombard Odier (Bermuda), a subsidiary of the Swiss Bank, and a Director of the London Steam Ship Owners' Mutual Insurance Association (Bermuda) Ltd.
Dr. Saul's political career began in 1989, when he was elected to the Bermuda Parliament, representing Devonshire South. One day after being elected, he was appointed Bermuda's Finance Minister, a post he held for six and a half years, before being elected Premier of Bermuda in 1995.
A former Director of the Bermuda Track and Field Association and an active member of the local sporting scene, Dr. Saul is a dedicated long distance runner and has run for 47 years, having held every Bermuda record from 1 to 10 miles. He completed the Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 47 minutes at age 40 and in 2001 he won the "over 60" age group in Bermuda's annual half marathon.
Dr. Saul is also an enthusiastic participant in water sports, including scuba diving, fishing and kayaking. His kayaking adventures have taken him from Panama to Alaska, and from NE Greenland to Tasmania. He also loves archery and big-game hunting and is an avid collector of Bermuda Stamps, Bermuda Currency Notes and Seashells. He also enjoys growing old Garden Roses, and is a keen oil painter.
In addition to his other public services, Dr. Saul is a Member of the Bermuda Defence Board, which oversees the Bermuda Regiment. He is a Past President of the Bermuda Audubon Society and Past Chairman of the Bermuda Debate Society.
A very keen oceanographer with a great passion for shipwrecks and the sea, Dr. Saul is a founding Trustee of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, a body that is dedicated to educating the public about the deep ocean. He is also a founding Director of the Professional Shipwreck Explorers Association.
In addition to a Certificate of Education from Nottingham University, and a Diploma in Education from Loughborough College in England, Dr. Saul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Canada, and a Masters and a Doctorate from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Saul has been married to his wife Christine since 1963. They have two children, a son Jonathan, and a daughter, Robin Elizabeth, and two grandsons. | 