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.

Bouchard is on a mission to empower clients to successfully build competencies in financial, emotional, relational, intellectual and spiritual capitals to have a coherent experience with their wealth. Understanding the unique challenges families experience when it comes to love and money, she assists them in having healthy communication and trust with each other.

She specializes in blended family dynamics; multi-generational family meetings; rising generation leadership & education; family enterprise decision-making (aka governance); and family business succession. As a former licensed marital and family therapist, Bouchard brings to her work over 30 years of teaching, researching, and writing about human potential. She also draws from her former experiences as senior VP and management roles at Ascent Private Capital Management and PNC Private Bank Hawthorn. She now has a private consulting and coaching practice. 

Bouchard is inspired to work with families who value the priceless aspects of life, such as:

• How to communicate about what matters most
• How to cultivate enduring trust
• How to prepare family members to be empowered, competent leaders in their lives and in their roles within the family

Along with her professional experiences, Bouchard brings a varied educational background to her work. She earned a B.A with honors from the University of Pennsylvania in Child Development and holds a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is also a trained Equine Assisted Growth and Learning facilitator; a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy; and a Certified Money Coach for Individuals, Couples, and Business Owners.

The core values that are consistently woven into the fabric of Bouchard’s life and work are love, respect, creativity, meaningful communication and life-long learning. She is highly collaborative and has “Estate Planning for the Blended Family” and “Beginners Guide to Purposeful Prenups” with two different attorneys. She is currently working on her third, (due to release in November 2026) “The Little Book of Trust and Money: An Essential Primer for Families,” with Charles Feltman, author of “The Thin Book of Trust.”

Personally, Bouchard is grateful to live on 10 acres with 10 horses in Northern California. She often joins friends in riding, hiking, and kayaking to replenish in nature. She is passionate about having a positive impact on the lives of her clients, colleagues, family, and friends, and making connections that further the goals and dreams of those around her.

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.

​Dubbed “star editor” by CNN and “innovator in chief” by The New York Times, Lipman began her career as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, ultimately rising to Deputy Managing Editor, the first woman to attain that post. There, she created Weekend Journal and Personal Journal, and supervised coverage that earned three Pulitzer Prizes. She subsequently was founding Editor-in-Chief of Conde Nast Portfolio and Portfolio.com, which won National Magazine and Loeb Awards.

​In 2015, she became the first Chief Content Officer of Gannett. There she was Editor in Chief of its USA Today and USA Today Network, encompassing the flagship title plus 109 metro newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Cincinnati Enquirer, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer Prizes.

​Lipman is a frequent television commentator, seen on ABC, CNN, NBC, CNBC, CBS, MSNBC and PBS, among others. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, Fortune, Newsweek and Harvard Business Review. She is also co-author of the critically acclaimed musical memoir, "Strings Attached." 

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.

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.

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.