Biographies

Aksoy is a global nomad having lived in over 10 countries growing up, is a Fulbright scholar and received her PhD in marketing from the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

As a global branding and marketing expert and former advertising CEO, Arnell has a talent for understanding brands based on a deep and meaningful consumer and market expertise. Her solutions prepare stakeholders with solutions for sustainable development and growth. She continues to be sought after as a C-Suite consultant to many brands and businesses. In 2020, Arnell wrote a tell-all book, There Will Be Lobster: Memoir of A Midlife Crisis to share the

personal struggles that she had kept to herself for years. Her philosophy in writing this book was that if it helped even one person find healing, it was all worth it. The book became a best-seller. Arnell’s most recent endeavor is a founder and creator of Salt Stone, a respiratory health device that is receiving praise from doctors, wellness practitioners and users.

Arnell is currently Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design, teaching classes in marketing, branding and advertising. Arnell holds a BA from Skidmore College and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.

Maryam Banikarim is a convener, an Emmy Award-winning storyteller, and host of The Messy Parts Podcast, exploring the real stories behind success. With over 25 years as a C-suite executive driving growth at Fortune Media, Nextdoor, Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision, she now convenes senior marketing leaders as Chair of the WSJ Institutes CMO Council.

Banikarim has built movements that spark connection and joy, including co-founding NYCNext during the pandemic, leading the WE ❤ NYC campaign, and creating The Longest Table, a nationwide potluck initiative connecting neighbors.

A sought-after speaker with a TED Talk on navigating life’s obstacles and keynotes for Columbia Business School, Pfizer, and Disney, Banikarim also advises organizations through her practice, MaryamB, on brand strategy, community building, and creative impact. Recognized among Fast Company’s “Top 10 Disruptors” and New York Post’s “50 Most Powerful Women in NYC,” she lives in New York City with her family and dog, Charlie.

Doshi has 20 years of experience working directly with families on the complexities of managing significant wealth, and is frequently called upon to speak and publish on family wealth topics. She has been quoted in the Financial Times, Bloomberg, Barron’s, Euromoney, the South China Morning Post, Business Insider, and other financial news publications, and has spoken at numerous national and international conferences on managing the complexities of family wealth. Doshi is also quoted in The Family Office Handbook (Wiley, 2nd Edition).

Previously, Doshi managed national teams of wealth planning professionals for two of the largest financial institutions globally, built a Philanthropy & Family Governance practice, and led growth for a new Delaware trust company for a Registered Investment Advisor. 

Doshi is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts & Estates Counsel (ACTEC), a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute, and a former Fellow of the American Bar Association, Real Property Trusts & Estates Section. She sits on the Executive Board of the Society for Trusts & Estates Practitioners (STEP), New York chapter and serves on the National Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Doshi earned a J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, wherein she concentrated on trusts and estates and family mediation and obtained certification from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She obtained a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara.

She began her career after earning a BA in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the University of Michigan and completing the Macy’s Management Training Program. She later earned an MBA in Strategic Management from MIT Sloan and worked at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), advising consumer products companies on growth strategy. She brings together strategy, human capital, and family-business leadership in her work today.

Since beginning her family’s single-family office in 2019, Fitzgerald is continuing to learn and develop best practices for her family unit. While she is proud to say that she has dabbled in the investment side of the office (even sourcing a few deals), taken three American Banker Association courses (banking is the family business), Fitzgerald truly thrives with philanthropy. She has taken over her family’s donor-advised fund and launched the family foundation. She has put parameters into place where giving is concerned and feels the family finally is set up for success in the future. Each day, she thinks about how the family is impacting local organizations and where dollars are needed most.

Her first book, “This Isn’t Working,” came out August 5th, 2025 as the #1 Amazon release for Women In Business and #2 in Workplace Culture, becoming a best-seller in both categories. 

Prior to that, French Dunbar co-founded the first nationally distributed print magazine in the U.S. focusing on impact-driven business, Conscious Company Magazine, where she interviewed more than 1,000 business leaders. In addition to writing, she also works with companies, like Coach, Kate Spade, Leonard Green, and more on leadership and culture development and hosts Better Than This, a podcast about overhauling business-as-usual and improving work for all. French Dunbar lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband, Scott, and kiddos, Jack and Atty.

Laura Thompson Grondin began with Virginia Industries in 1986 and became CEO in 1999 when her father retired, leading the business in male-dominated heavy manufacturing serving the water, gas, and automotive industries. Over 25 years, she built a high-performance culture and made capital investments that grew revenue substantially while navigating a complex buyout of her brother to consolidate ownership. In 2025, she strategically sold Bingham & Taylor, a 175-year-old water and gas infrastructure manufacturer. 

Leading a family business presented unique challenges—Thompson Grondin simultaneously served as CEO, daughter, sister, and mother, navigating complex family dynamics. She made difficult decisions balancing business needs with family considerations, while consistently driving operational excellence and accountability. She continues as CEO, preparing her daughter (Executive Vice President) for future generational leadership.

A world-class competitive sailor, Thompson Grondin made history in 2025 as the first woman to win the J/70 World Championship and is a three-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year finalist. Competing at the highest levels in both sailing and business has reinforced her belief that resilience—the ability to navigate adversity, adapt to changing conditions, and maintain focus under pressure—is essential to effective leadership.

Currently Vice President of US Sailing and an active participant in Vistage, an international organization of CEOs, Thompson Grondin has served on numerous boards and committees including the Private Company & Family Business Committee of Women Corporate Directors. She graduated from Yale University in 1985.

Previously, Hoffmeister was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where she built the Wealth Management division's first home office talent function. She has also guided growth for global consumer brands including LVMH and Coty. Hoffmeister holds an MBA from NYU Stern and BA from Columbia University. She is based in Westchester County with her husband, two children, and Italian water dog.

As a family member, former executive and board member of a fifth-generation, family-owned commercial real estate business, Houlihan appreciates the complex impact of family dynamics on institutional wealth. She works with clients to preserve their legacies through impactful and sustainable family office and governance strategies.

Throughout a nearly two-decade career, Houlihan has focused on the intersection of family offices, family businesses and commercial real estate. Before joining J.P. Morgan, she was a member of Ernst & Young’s Family Office Advisory Services practice, advising ultra-high-net-worth families on the design and development of family offices. Houlihan also served as Managing Director and General Counsel at her family’s business, Houlihan-Parnes Realtors, overseeing financing of the firm’s real estate assets and creating a comprehensive governance structure for both the business and her family. An attorney by training, she began her career in commercial real estate law at Morrison Cohen LLP and Cassin & Cassin LLP, and in the United States Congress.

Houlihan earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.S. in Social Policy from Northwestern University. She is admitted to practice law in the state of New York. She holds Certificates in Family Business and Family Wealth Advising from the Family Firm Institute, and a Certificate in Real Estate Finance and Development from MIT. Dallas residents, Houlihan and her husband are passionate about experiencing different cultures through international travel.

Following her husband’s passing in 1993, Lewis assumed leadership of TLC Beatrice International, steering it into a $2.2 billion corporation and achieving remarkable success. Her memoir “Why Should Guys Have All The Fun?” offers a candid account of her extraordinary journey, encapsulating themes of love, motherhood, and navigating a billion-dollar empire as an Asian American woman.

Lewis’ commitment to philanthropy echoes her family’s legacy of giving, which is evident in her support for education and community empowerment initiatives, both in the U.S. and her native Philippines. Her advocacy extends to various organizations and causes, reflecting her dedication to Asian American representation and social justice. Despite her professional accomplishments, she finds solace in her family life, enjoying the role of a devoted grandmother while maintaining a disciplined routine focused on spiritual and physical well-being.

Professional Highlights:

• Morgan Stanley (2020–2025) – As Chief Marketing Officer, Alice led the firm’s global brand strategy and go-to-market platform, encompassing advertising, sponsorships, partnerships, digital platforms, AI integration, and corporate campaigns. She spearheaded a major brand transformation, positioning Morgan Stanley as a modern “house of brands” following acquisitions including E*TRADE, Eaton Vance, and Solium Capital.
• E*TRADE (2019–2020) – EVP & Chief Customer Officer, reporting to the CEO and serving on the Operating Committee. Oversaw retail products P&L, brand, marketing, customer experience, digital, and analytics.
• Citi (2014–2019) – Chief Digital Client Experience Officer, U.S. Consumer Bank and earlier Chief Customer & Digital Experience Officer, Global Cards & Consumer Services. Reimagined the end-to-end strategy, design, and delivery of digital channels and scaled customer experience globally.

Known for her innovative and pragmatic approach, Santos has earned a reputation as a “chief disruptor”—able to dismantle ineffective systems and rebuild them to drive stronger results. Her work consistently helps clients increase sales, profitability, and team performance, while improving organizational culture and reducing turnover. She has coached executives and business owners to strengthen leadership teams, align operations with long-term goals, and improve productivity by measurable margins, often achieving double-digit gains in revenue, profitability, and efficiency.

Santos’ expertise spans executive coaching, team building, performance management, family governance, conflict resolution, and aligning people with organizational strategy. She plays an active role in BCR’s nationally recognized Family Business Practice, leading annual research on family enterprises since 2017 and spearheading Women Leaders in Family Enterprises, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to supporting women in leadership roles within family-owned companies.

In addition to her consulting work, Santos has contributed her leadership to numerous boards, including the Nu‘uanu YMCA, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i, Easter Seals Hawai‘i, and the Arthritis Foundation, and served as President of the Punahou School Parent Faculty Association. Her contributions to business leadership have been recognized with honors from the U.S. Small Business Administration Mentor Program, the Pacific Business News Women Who Mean Business Award, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i. Santos is also a contributing author to a forthcoming book on family business research methodologies, which was published in the summer of 2025.

Santos earned both her B.A. and M.A. in Communication and Organizational Development from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She holds certifications in behavioral assessment tools, family governance and dynamics assessments, ISO20700, and is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) through the Institute of Management Consultants.

Born and raised on O‘ahu, Santos embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and the values of Hawai‘i’s business community. She works closely with her husband and business partner, Ken Gilbert, and together they are preparing the next generation of leadership at BCR through the active involvement of their twin children, Kyler and Miranda.

Nicole serves as a Corporate Director, Audit Committee member, Ownership Governance Committee member, & past Chair of the Family Council for Vermeer Corporation, a global manufacturing company operating in 60 countries worldwide. Vermeer Corporation is a leader in the agricultural, environmental, utility pipeline, specialty excavation, infrastructure, & industrial equipment manufacturing industries with over $2.3 billion in annual sales.  The company earned the Private Company Board of the Year award from Private Company Boards and Director and Boards Magazines in 2019.

As a key member of the Vermeer Ownership Governance Committee, Nicole works with family leaders to successfully identify family office opportunities, implement best practices, and navigate multi-generational transitions for over 80 shareholders nationwide. She assisted the Governance Committee with development of strategic plans, the shareholder agreement, shareholder director development process, mentorship program, family employment policy, and other efforts. She is especially energized by family engagement strategies, shareholder development programs, and contributing to a corporation’s shareholder equity and ESG goals. 

Professionally, Nicole serves as the Chief Development Officer of Goodwill Southern California, where she leads partnership impact, philanthropic investment, and corporate engagement for the nationally recognized social enterprise that transforms lives through the power of work, empowering individuals, communities, & economic mobility. As one of the largest Goodwills in the nation, GSC operates 80 social impact career programs and 80 retail stores over a territory of 33,000 square miles with 3000 employees and an annual budget of $300M.

Nicole currently serves on the corporate board of Vermeer Corporation, as Co-Chair of Affordable Living for the Aging, a Director of the Los Angeles Mission, on the Fund Development Committee of Abode Communities, & is Co-Founder of Social Capital Philanthropists, a crowdfunded grant-making collective in Los Angeles. Ms. Vermeer earned an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business & holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. She graduated magna cum laude from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Urban Planning.

Nicole currently serves on the corporate board of Vermeer Corporation, as Co-Chair of Affordable Living for the Aging, a Director of the Los Angeles Mission, on the Fund Development Committee of Abode Communities, & is Co-Founder of Social Capital Philanthropists, a crowdfunded grant-making collective in Los Angeles. Ms. Vermeer earned an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business & holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. She graduated magna cum laude from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning and resides in Los Angeles with her husband and their four active children.

Known for blending operational rigor with warmth and integrity, White Morrissey has been recognized as a high-impact leader by New York SmartCEO’s Brava Awards and is an active member of Vistage Worldwide, where she collaborates with fellow CEOs on strategic growth and business development. Under her leadership, the brand champions responsible manufacturing and philanthropic initiatives, supporting community organizations in New York and developing cause-driven collections that benefit women’s heart health.

White Morrissey studied Fashion Merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology and spent ten years at Macy’s before working on the wholesale side of the industry. She went on to launch White & Warren nearly three decades ago, inspired by New York’s energy and driven by her entrepreneurial spirit. She resides in New York City and, outside of work, enjoys cooking for family and friends and spending time outdoors walking or biking in Central Park.

Casamina began her own business career in the startup economy, with her early experience leading the business development efforts of a freshly-launched software app which was accepted into the cohort of a premier startup incubator.  Casamina was actively involved in the launch of one of Hawaii’s first co-working spaces, leading the Hawaii division of a larger Southern California based operation. Through this role she gained extensive experience in property and project management, sales and marketing, business operations, detailed tracking of performance metrics, and the ability to work with an extremely diverse clientele base.  

Casamina uses her expertise at BCR to work with clients in their Strategic Planning, Leadership Succession and Development, Team Development, and Operational efforts, including Process Improvements and Change Management efforts. She is particularly involved in BCR’s family business practice and supports families with Succession Planning, Leadership Development, Family Dynamics, Family Governance and Constitution development, and Coaching. 

Casamina has studied at the University of San Francisco, and the American Business School of Paris, and holds a degree in Marketing and Management from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Casamina is the Vice President of Women Leaders in Family Enterprises (WLife), and currently serves on the board of Hawaii Women in Filmmaking, and the advisory board of the Loyola Marymount University Family Business Entrepreneurship Program. 

Under Gilbert’s leadership, BCR has advised more than 400 companies spanning local, mainland, and international markets. His expertise covers a wide range of specialties, including succession and transition planning, strategic planning and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, financial management, human resources, commercial real estate, and leadership development. He is also recognized as a Master Life Coach, empowering individuals at every stage of life to design and achieve meaningful personal and professional goals.

Prior to launching BCR, Gilbert founded and grew a successful life insurance agency in Hawaii, later expanding into real estate and development with more than 40 employees. His entrepreneurial background, combined with decades of consulting experience, allows him to bring an objective and forward-looking perspective to his clients – helping them successfully navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and prepare for the future.

Gilbert’s clients include CEOs and senior executives across industries such as maritime, distribution, banking and finance, insurance, real estate, retail, construction, manufacturing, government, military, and hospitality. His work focuses on strategy execution, leadership skill development, and building high-performance teams.

As Hawaii’s premier family business consultant, Gilbert has played an instrumental role in advancing family business education and support. He is the past Chair of the Advisory Board of the University of Hawaii’s Shidler Family Business Center of Hawaii – one of the nation’s top-ranked family business centers – and has been deeply engaged with the organization for many years. In addition, BCR proudly sponsors UCLA Anderson’s Steinbeck Family Business Program and partners with Loyola Marymount University to operate and grow the LMU Entrepreneurial Family Business Center in Los Angeles.

Gilbert holds a B.S.B.A. in Personnel and Employee Relations, and an M.S. in Business and Governmental Relations and International Business from American University in Washington, D.C. Beyond his consulting work, he has shared his expertise as a faculty member at Punahou School, the University of Hawaii, and Hawaii Pacific University. He has also served in leadership roles across numerous community and nonprofit organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Hawaii State Art Museum, and the Metropolitan Rotary Club of Honolulu, where he is a past president.

Married to fellow BCR partner Jean Santos, Gilbert is also actively preparing the next generation of leadership with their twin children, Kyler and Miranda, who are now engaged in the family business.