In 2007, Joe Di Placito and Ziad Boustany started their entrepreneurial journey by founding RAM, an engineering and construction consulting company in Vancouver, BC. Throughout the years, RAM became a leader in its industry and one of Canada’s most rapidly growing consulting businesses. Building on its success, they established BDI Group as a company to start up and acquire additional businesses to diversify their portfolio.
BDI’s current leadership team has grown beyond Joe and Ziad and attracted other entrepreneurs and advisors that are passionate about helping others succeed in the business world. They bring immense value to the BDI portfolio through many years of operational and financial experience having lead businesses and M&A activities on a global scale.
Explore our current portfolio of client businesses and discover valuable insights.
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Ziad is the CEO and co-founder of BDI Group and is primarily involved in sourcing and assessing prospective partnerships as well as facilitating growth and new initiatives at the affiliate level.
His earlier career was spent leading large scale infrastructure projects and gaining experience in rapidly scaling up and aligning high performing teams to execute them. He has then transferred these skills to businesses where he continues to empower leaders to build successful enterprises. By 2022, Ziad’s impressive track record in startups and acquisitions earned him an award for being in the Top 40 under 40 by Business in Vancouver.
Ziad holds an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia and an Executive MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and a Project Management Professional (PMP).
In the community, Ziad has volunteered as a Vice President of the Lebanese Canadian Society of BC and is a member of the Rotary Club of Vancouver. He is always keen on mentoring entrepreneurs in their journey and sharing his experiences.
Outside of work, you can find Ziad enjoying the outdoors and traveling with his wife and two children.
Joe DiPlacito is the President of the BDI Group of Companies, where he leverages his extensive experience in engineering and project management to drive strategic growth in the group of companies. As a co-founder of RAM, Joe leads the firm in recognition as one of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies for seven consecutive years and has received accolades for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from ACEC-BC and the BC Construction Association.
A graduate of the University of British Columbia with a degree in Civil Engineering, Joe is a registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with the Project Management Institute (PMI). His career has been marked by a commitment to excellence, leading complex, multi-discipline projects in sectors including utilities, transportation, marine, oil and gas, and infrastructure.
A passionate advocate for the engineering and construction industries, Joe serves as a Board Member of ACEC-BC and actively participates in the British Columbia Construction Roundtable (BCCR). He also dedicates time as an Assessor for new Engineers for Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) and provides mentorship to members of the Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN).
In his personal life, Joe enjoys staying active in the community as a volunteer youth soccer coach.
A seasoned executive with over three decades of experience, Emile Boustany specializes in business turnaround and growth.
With a strong background in industrial, engineering, and service sectors, he has held leadership roles in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His expertise encompasses strategic planning, team building, driving operational efficiency, executing mergers and acquisitions, and board governance. Emile has successfully led numerous acquisitions and joint venture projects, delivering substantial value to his organizations. He is also a seasoned board member serving on multiple fiduciary and advisory boards. Fluent in English, French, and Arabic, he brings a global perspective to his roles.
Pouya is a Certified Public Accountant with twenty years of experience in strategic management and corporate development. His expertise extends to leading and managing mergers and acquisitions, where he has played a pivotal role in integrating acquired companies and driving growth through strategic alignment. Pouya’s proactive approach and dedication to achieving results are evident in his successful track record of overseeing complex transactions and enhancing stakeholder value. Known for his positive, engaging, and enthusiastic demeanor, as well as his strong financial management practices, he excels at achieving desired outcomes and ensuring seamless transitions during M&A processes.
Theoni Pilarinos has 20 years of corporate and investment industry experience. Theoni spent the first half of her career in Equity Research at Raymond James covering publicly-traded companies in the Construction and Engineering space and progressed to Equity Analyst covering US-based Heavy Original Equipment Manufacturers. In this role, she recommended stocks based on company fundamentals and return profiles and assessed value creation of Mergers & Acquisitions. After close to a decade in equity research, Ms.Pilarinos moved into industry and worked at Finning International, Caterpillar’s largest equipment distributor, in various roles including Global Finance Director and Strategy & Corporate Analytics. Ms. Pilarinos is currently the Director of Business Development and Strategy at Seaspan ULC and sits on BDI’s Advisory Board in a Financial advisory role. Ms. Pilarinos holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance and holds her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Dennis serves as a director or advisor on six boards, including BDI, and is a committee member of UNBC’s Investment Advisory Committee, the UNBC Family Support Program, and the RCEC Finance Council and Land Committee.
Dennis has over 40 years of experience in business and construction, including expertise in buildings, infrastructure, industrial, and property development across Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa.
During this time, Dennis co-founded and led two major construction companies and was instrumental in structuring numerous joint ventures, limited partnerships, and corporate entities to capitalize on focused opportunities. Additionally, he guided his teams through several strategic acquisitions and played a key role in forming entities or acquiring companies in sectors such as construction, consumer products, electrical equipment manufacturing, and water treatment.
Ella is the Operations Manager at BDI Group, where she streamlines processes, ensures compliance, and drives strategic initiatives. She is dedicated to supporting the operations of affiliate companies, and managing mergers and acquisitions.
Previously, Ella served as an Operations Coordinator at Torus Talent, one of BDI Group’s affiliates, where she handled invoices, budgets, and office expansion while significantly boosting social media engagement and leading team meetings. Her commitment to operational excellence and growth propels BDI Group’s success.
