Foundation Trustees and Officers

An accomplished accountant-lawyer, she earned a joint Master’s degree in Law and International Taxation from Harvard University, solidifying her expertise in the field.

Prior to establishing BDB Law, Dick led the tax department of a prominent auditing firm and served with distinction at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), where she was instrumental in the establishment of the Large Taxpayer’s Service (LTS). Her commitment to advancing the financial landscape in the Philippines is highlighted by her tenure as Co-Chairperson of the Capital Market Development Council (2019–2022), contributing significantly to the 2019–2025 Capital Market Development Blueprint.

A recognized leader, Dick has held several prestigious positions, including Past President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) in 2023, President of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) in 2017, and President of the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP) in 2004.

In 2024, she was named one of Asia’s Top 15 Female Lawyers by Asian Legal Business, highlighting her influence and success within the legal community.

Outside of her legal practice, Dick is the founder of the BDB Law Foundation, established in 2015, which aims to address critical gaps in education, livelihood, and public health. She is a multifaceted individual with passions that include writing, painting, fashion design, and gardening, and is a proud mother of four sons.

She is the first woman to be admitted partner of Price Waterhouse anywhere in the world in 1973 in its then over one-hundred-year history.

She also served as President of the Social Security System, being its first woman President. She was also President of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) where she is now a Honorary President. She is the first and only woman and first non-European President of ISSA, since its founding in 1927 in Brussels.

She has been involved in the boards of several publicly listed and private Philippine companies, as well as with the different organizations.

She has been awarded, among others, as: The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL), The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS), The Outstanding Professional in Accounting (from the Professional Regulation Commission), Outstanding Fulbrighter, and one of the 100 Top Philippine CPAs in the 100^th year of the Accountancy Profession named by the Philippine Board of Accountancy and the PICPA.

Mrs. de la Paz-Bernardo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of the East, and placed first in the 1960 CPA Board examination. She obtained her Master’s in Business Administration from Cornell University Graduate School of Business and Public Administration as a University of the East scholar and Fulbright grantee. She holds a Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) degree from the University of the Cordilleras.

Formerly, he was the Head of Equity Investments at Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) and held various concurrent positions in the Metrobank Group.  He is a former Director of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) and is currently a Trustee of the FINEX Foundation and a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors. 

From 2022-2024, Mr. Go served as the President of the Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni, the umbrella organization of all the Japan alumni associations in the country.   Mr. Go holds a Bachelor of Science in Management (Honors Program) degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of the Philippines (Diliman).  He was likewise an Exchange Scholar at the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, Japan. 

He is also Chairman of the PAF Multi-Sector Governance Board. 

He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) from 2004 to 2010.  Currently, he is on the board of several public companies.  Atty. Lim also served as the Co-Chairperson of the Rules on e-Commerce and Notaries Public sub-committees of the Supreme Court and is presently a member of the sub-committees on Commercial Courts, Evidence, and DNA Evidence.   

Atty. Lim is  a law professor of the Ateneo Law School and the San Beda College Graduate School of Law, a professional lecturer of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), and the current Vice-Chair of its Commercial Law Department.  Mr. Lim has also authored several legal books/articles that were published in both local and international publications.

She is a Senior board adviser to Vicsal Development Corporation. 

Previously, Ms. Nuesa served as the JRI Chairperson for ten years. She held key positions as a Managing Director at Ayala Corporation (retired in 2011) and as the Chief Finance Officer of Manila Water Co. (where she received the ING-FINEX CFO of the Year Award for 2008). She also served as President of the ALFM Mutual Funds Group and held past Board positions in Ayala Land, Inc., ACEN Corporation, the Institute of Corporate Directors, and Integrity Initiative.

He is also a member of the De La Salle Philippines- Investment Committee.

Mr. Opulencia spent 33 years of his professional career with the Ayala Group, notable positions of which were Managing Director and Treasurer of Ayala Corporation and Managing Director and CEO  of BPI Europe (PLC) in London.

Mr. Opulencia is a graduate of the Masters in Business Management (with distinction) of the Asian Institute of Management and a recipient of AIM’s Triple A Award. He also earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the De La Salle University and attended the Harvard’s Advanced Management Program.

He was CFO, Vice President – Finance & Treasurer and Chief Risk Officer of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation and has held various senior positions in the Shell group of companies both locally and overseas.   

Among the awards and citations, he received are the CFO of the Year from ING and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines in 2014, the Professional Degree Award for Industrial Engineering from the University of the Philippines College of Engineering and U.P. Alumni Engineers in 2015, and the Global Management Accounting Hall of Fame Award from the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (Australia) in 2017.

He is a member and former President of FINEX, and a member of the Makati Business Club (MBC). He is also a member of the Board of Advisers (and former Chairman) of the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee.  

In 2018, he was recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate/M&A and Banking and Finance by Asia Law Profiles and in Corporate and M&A by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.  Atty. Tan regularly conducts lectures and acts as speaker in various international fora and has published several legal articles.

In 2020, Atty. Tan was conferred “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon”, by His Majesty, The Emperor of Japan. It is an award that has been selectively given since 1875 to notable individuals who have made significant contributions in the areas of politics. economics, society, culture, and education.

She also serves as Independent Director of LTGroup Inc. and Nickel Asia Corporation. She is a trustee/ advisor of the Philippine Bible Society, Tulay sa Pagunlad, Inc. (TSPI).  She obtained her BS degree in Business Administration, Major in Economics at the University of the Philippines and her Master of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles where she topped the Masters Comprehensive Examination.  Ms. Tarriela is former Undersecretary of Finance and the first Filipina Vice-President of Citibank, N.A.  She is Go Negosyo 2018 Woman Intrapreneur awardee. 

Ms. Tarriela co-authored “Coincidence or Miracle?” Books I, II, III, IV & V (books of hope and inspiration), and gardening books “Ooops. . . Don’t Throw Those Weeds Away!” (a book to fight poverty by planting weeds that are useful and edible), and “The Secret is in the Soil”.  She is currently a columnist for Business Options of the Manila Bulletin and FINEX Folio of Business World.

He was formerly Chairman, President & CEO of Ortigas Land Corporation. He served as Group Chief Financial Officer of Ayala Land, Inc., and director of various Ayala Land subsidiaries and affiliates.  He was also Managing Director of Ayala Corporation.

He is a Trustee and was formerly President of Shareholders Association of the Philippines; Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of CIBI Foundation; Liaison Trustee of the Committee on CFO Competency Program of FINEX Academy; formerly President of Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines; formerly Chairman of FINEX Research and Development Foundation; and formerly President of Asia Pacific Real Estate Association. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Mr. Ysmael holds a degree in Business Administration, Major in Accounting (Summa Cum Laude) at the University of the East and is a Certified Public Accountant. He earned an MBA, Major in Finance, at The Wharton School and an MA in International Studies at The School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania, as a fellow of The Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies.  He also attended The Executive Program of the University of Michigan.

He was the recipient of the 2011 ING-FINEX CFO of the Year Award and the 2014 Triple A CFO of the Year Award of The Asset magazine.  He was awarded by Corporate Governance Asia as Best CFO for Investor Relations in 2015. He was also named by Finance Asia magazine as Best CFO for two years in a row in 2015 and 2016. He won as Best CFO (Overall and Sell-Side) at Institutional Investor’s 2016 All-Asia Executive Team Awards.

He will be sharing his experience and insights on Transformational Leadership.