Board of Directors
Azool JAFFER JERAJ, President
Azool Jaffer-Jeraj holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria. He is a partner in the Vancouver law firm of Dohm, Jaffer & Jeraj, where he practises in the areas of victims’ law, family law, wills and estates.
Azool has 19 years of professional and educational experience. He has appeared successfully before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Azool is an extremely active member of the legal profession. She has served on the board of directors of several legal associations, in addition to volunteering in the community and with Access Pro Bono. Azool previously served as President of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC and currently sits on the Board of Governors. He is regularly invited to speak at continuing legal education seminars.
When not on trial, he uses mediation to resolve his clients’ disputes. Azool is an accredited mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in the United Kingdom and with the Law Society of British Columbia and frequently intervenes in cases before the Ismaili Conciliation and Arbitration Board for British Columbia. Azool speaks four languages, including English, French, Spanish and Kaachi.
Sylvie ALLOUCHE, Vice President
Originally from Lyon, France, Sylvie Allouche lived in Shanghai for 5 years before arriving in Vancouver on the North Shore in August 2010.
Self-entrepreneur since 2001 (in Life Coaching NLP – Hypnosis), she knows the business world well also for having worked there for 11 years as a Sales Manager in the service (finance software packages, sales training, temporary work).
Sylvie now accompanies individuals (85% French speaking) towards more success and well-being during individual sessions, groups or personal development workshops. She is also often solicited to lead workshops for French-speaking organizations such as SDECB or RFCB.
Very involved in the Francophonie, she opened Réseau-Femmes North Shore in 2016 and was elected Volunteer of the Year at Réseau-Femmes Colombie-Britannique in 2016. Sylvie became a member of the CCF Vancouver en 2016, was awarded Member of the Year by the Board of Directors at the Palme Bleue Gala in 2017, joined the Board of Directors in 2018 and became its Vice President in 2020. Her purpose is to to develop even more synergy between members.
Louise TURGEON, Treasurer
A landscape architect by trade, Louise moved to Vancouver in 1979. After a visit to the Granville Island Market, Louise and her partner opened a Boucherie Française, followed by “La Baguette & l’Échalote”, Boulangerie et Pâtisserie Française, and Catering Services; a restaurant “Le Soufflé” followed in 1983 and a wholesale manufacturing plant supplying restaurants, hotels, cafés and delicatessens. Louise sells her business in 2017.
Now retired, Louise is dedicated to helping business owners by bringing them together to work on their challenges and providing them with the tools to find practical and real solutions. All key areas of activity are covered: leadership, management, marketing, finance, operations and sales.
Sandrine BUNCH, Secretary
Sandrine is originally from French Guiana. After studying law and management in France, she lived for several years in Mayotte, before moving to Vancouver in 2018 with her family. A French lawyer with a master’s degree in business law from the University of Angers and an MBA from the University of La Réunion, Sandrine obtained with honors her license with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants as well as all federal and Quebec certifications for her trade.
Sandrine has over 20 years of professional experience in the legal industry. She is the founder of Cerise Immigration Consulting Inc., a Canadian immigration consulting firm based in Vancouver and Montreal, specializing in economic and Francophone immigration. She is competent across Canada, including in Quebec.
Sandrine also represents immigrants who wish to appeal to the immigration administrative courts. She helps immigrants to obtain their visas and permits, permanent residence and Canadian citizenship. She also helps Canadian companies to recruit internationally given the complexity of the immigration system in Canada.
Denise BELISLE, Administrator
Arriving in Vancouver in the fall of 1996, Denise Belisle is originally from Montreal. She is a passionate woman and has many areas of interest. From mechanical engineering, computer animation, massage and Reiki, to wellness coaching, she likes to be at the service of people and make their lives easier.
She is now an independent LegalShield Partner, a global provider of legal plans for individuals, families and small businesses.
Marielle DE VASSOIGNE, Administrator
Originally from Martinique in the French Caribbean, Marielle de Vassoigne moved to Vancouver in January of 2021 after spending half her life in Montréal.
Organizational Change Management Specialist, Marielle counts more than twenty years of experience working on transformational projects.
Marielle is a graduate from the Business School of University of Montréal – École des HEC in 1996, in Management and International Business, a certified Coach with UBC, a Prosci® certified Change Practitioner and a Lean Six-Sigma Green Belt.
Driven by her core belief—that a rich life is filled with kindness, curiosity, and exploration—as well as values of diversity and inclusion, she became a published author following her creative thinking and curious nature.
