BDI Team

Jane Valls, Executive Director

Jane Valls joined the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI), based in Dubai, in January 2016 as Executive Director.

Jane has over 15 years of international experience in corporate governance and working with board of directors. She is an accredited corporate governance trainer with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, and is an accredited trainer with the Ethics Institute, as well as being a Certified Ethics Officer. From 2010 to 2015, Jane was the CEO of the Mauritius Institute of Directors (MIOD), one of the leading Institutes in Africa. She was the first Chairperson of the African Corporate Governance network from 2013-2015, a network which she helped to found, bringing together 17 Institutes of Directors from across the African continent. Before joining the MIOD, Jane has held senior positions and directorships in a wide range of business sectors, with leading companies including British Airways, Air Mauritius, Sun International and The Rogers Group, amongst others, as well as running her own management and training consultancy.

Jane holds a BA Hons in French and Italian from Birmingham University, UK. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree by the University of Middlesex for services to business, women’s empowerment and social justice and she was decorated by the Republic of Mauritius as a Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (CSK) for services to corporate governance.

Lucy Turner, Director – Corporate Services
Lucy has recently joined GCC BDI as Director – Corporate Services and is responsible for our corporate services, client relationship management and business development. She is a UK-qualified lawyer (currently non-practising) who trained and practised with magic-circle law firm Allen & Overy before moving into business development and marketing.

She has experience working in roles across the Middle East, London and Paris. She is experienced in general management and operations; marketing, communications and business development; corporate governance; training and coaching; leadership and people management. She has an in-depth understanding of the GCC region, having lived and worked in the UAE since 2007. Lucy is also a Chartered Marketer and CIM-qualified senior marketing and B2B business development expert. She has a law degree from Oxford University and is currently studying for an Executive MBA at London Business School.

Vaoa Kerr, Operations Manager
Vaoa Kerr is the Operations Manager at GCC BDI and is responsible for organising all GCC BDI’s workshops and events.Vaoa joined the GCC BDI team in 2015.

She has over 15 years of experience in the education, financial/banking, health and government sectors. She has performed a range of leadership roles working with entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, public companies and not-for-profit organisations.  Vaoa has a strong background in business development, strategic planning, event/project management, marketing and operations.  She has worked predominantly in New Zealand/South Pacific and the GCC region and has been living in Dubai for the last six years.

Mehwish Sarwar, Marketing Manager
Mehwish’s role is as Marketing Manager at GCC BDI and she is responsible for managing our marketing activities.

She has more than eight years of experience in the UAE working with international, multi-national and governmental organisations. She has extensive expertise in corporate communications, digitalisation, market research, strategic planning, branding, marketing campaigns, public relations, advertising, brand building, project and events management. Mehwish has a MBA in Strategic Marketing, Communications and Business Planning from Cardiff Metropolitan University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the London School of Commerce.

Jo-shancy Bermudez, Relationship Manager
Jo-shancy (Josh) is the Relationship Manager at GCC BDI and is responsible for managing our relationship with our members, dealing with membership queries and enquiries.

Josh has more than a decade of combined experience in public relations, customer care, communications, research, training and development and academia. Previous roles include Academic Head / Dean of the College of Education, Arts and Sciences at World Citi College, as well as a University Lecturer in international relations and politics at FEU-Manila. Josh has a degree in AB Political Science from Mindanao State University-Iligan’s Institute of Technology, where he was recognised as Most Outstanding Graduate of the Year. He obtained his MA in Political Science/History from De La Salle University in Manila with Honors.

Roussell Ramos, Accounts and Administration Manager
Roussell Ramos is the Accounts and Administration Manager at GCC BDI and is responsible for dealing with all our financial and administrative matters.

She is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 15 years of experience, working for companies such as Chiltern Texas Management Consultant, Fastcargo Logistics Corporation and Ace Conglomerate Distributors Inc. (the distributor of Nestle Philippines). Roussell has a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Cor Jesu College in the Philippines.


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