About the KHC

Victoria Hoffarth has a doctoral degree in media ecology from New York University and a master’s degree in educational psychology from Columbia University. Her experiences include media research for the Philippine government and teaching MBA students at the Asian Institute of Management in Manila and Southbank University in London. Now retired, she is focusing on writing about Philippine cultural values – to date, two books – WHEN TURTLES COME HOME and SONG OF NEGROS have been published, and a third one is in progress. After marrying an economist, she became a trailing spouse as her husband’s work entailed relocations. She then developed a portable career with a portfolio of independent consultancies on career strategies and planning for women managers, mostly with international development organisations such as the Canadian International Development Agency, the Swedish International Development Agency, the International Labour Organisation, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. In her memoir, she states that she is simply an ordinary woman with a circuitous career and that she hopes that other women who seek fulfilment beyond their homes can likewise learn to balance their careers with family life. An accidental entrepreneur, Hoffarth has donated funds and her services to various causes. Her main advocacy is Philippine education.

Paul Hoffarth completed his BSc Honors in International Management and Modern Languages at the University of Bath School of Management (UK) as well as his Postgraduates in Hospitality Operations and Management at Les Roches via Enderun Colleges (PH) and Data Analytics and Digital Transformation Strategies at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School (Executive Education in the UK). Originally starting in Supply Chain Management Consulting at Siemens in Munich, he supported projects like Siemens Water Technologies and Siemens Global Merchandising. His tasks included delivering Lean Six Sigma Management Training Simulations to optimize current material flow processes, analyzing data, and identifying trends for strategic decisions on their supply chain. He then transitioned into a more hands-on career in hotel management, working in Manila at Midas Hotel; then in Berlin (Grand Hyatt Hotel and Marriotts.) with focus on Food & Beverage Management and Operations. This included managing teams of five people throughout the day in terms of service, including setting up timetables of when colleagues report to work, and preparing different outlets for large events such as the Berlin Marathon, the Berlinale Film Festival, or the Hyatt Christmas Market, reporting daily to the Director of Food & Beverage, Head Chef and the Director of Event Sales. With home working during the pandemic, Paul pivoted to Sales and Business Development for two German startups in the FinTech industry as an international sales manager in the UK market and DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) regions. The first is Elopage GmbH, an all-in-one platform that guides digital entrepreneurs to create, sell, and manage online services through streamlined payment processing, marketing, and analytics automation. He also worked for Moss GmbH, a company that provides CFOs and accounting teams with an all-in-one expense management solution, including corporate credit cards, digital invoice processing, and automated accounting. In both companies, Paul conducted online market research for business development, generated leads for the sales team, and maintained relationships with key accounts. He also pitched bespoke solutions, demonstrated products to C-Level decision makers and negotiated strategic partnerships. With the experiences he has collected thus far, he wants to coach others to find their true vocations so they can lead successful and meaningful lives, through in-person meetings and online, using his fluency in German, French, Spanish, and English.

Gunter Hecker has a doctoral degree in Mathematical Economics from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He worked 27 years in development economics, 5 years with the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (W), the development agency for the German government and 25 years for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila, Philippines, mainly in infrastructure development. His main expertise were in Project Evaluation Methods, Financial Analysis, Transport Economics, Statistical Methods, Operations Research, Computer Applications, and Team Management. After retirement in 2002, he continued to advise in the same fields for another 17 years as Independent for KfW, ADB, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). During that period, he was Associate Partner of Project Finance International (PFI), a firm advising public and private sector entities mainly in the new member countries of the EU in obtaining financial support in EU. He is also Co-founder and since 2004 President of "Hilfe fur Kinder in Not, Heidelberg (HfKNH)"/Help for Children in Need; an NGO that helped to date 130 poor children in Manila afflicted with Hydrocephalus in cooperation with the Hydrocephalus Foundation of the Philippines. He was also acting as Vice President of a local sports club, is engaged in local social activities as an active member of a main political party in Germany. Since 2002 he is a Knight of Rizal and was Area Commander for Germany and Austria.

Dr. Zeba F. Alam is a distinguished academic and researcher with a robust career spanning multiple countries, including India, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Currently serving as an Associate Professor at De La Salle University, Manila, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of scientists by teaching and mentoring students at undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. levels. As a dedicated thesis advisor, she guides students engaged in cutting-edge molecular biology and interdisciplinary research, fostering innovation and academic excellence. With a Ph.D. in Radiation Genetics and Chemical Toxicology from the prestigious School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, and the Sylvius Laboratorium, Department of Radiation Genetics and Chemical Mutagenesis, Leiden, the Netherlands, Dr. Alam brings a wealth of expertise to her field. Her research interests span biotechnology, genetic engineering, cytogenetics, environmental biomonitoring, and e-waste toxicity, areas in which she has made significant contributions through numerous publications in high-impact international journals and book chapters. Dr. Alam is an active contributor to the global scientific community, serving as a content editor for books in her areas of specialization and as a member of the editorial boards of several scientific journals. Her role as a regular reviewer for research papers underscores her commitment to maintaining the highest standards of academic rigor and integrity. Her research endeavors have been supported by prestigious national and international funding agencies, including the University Research Coordination Office (Philippines), GIZ (Germany), and the Hitachi Grant (Japan). She has also spearheaded inter-university collaborations and worked with diverse stakeholders to advance scientific knowledge and address pressing global challenges. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to research and teaching, Dr. Alam has been honored with multiple awards by De La Salle University. Her dedication to academia, coupled with her extensive international experience and collaborative spirit, positions her as a leading figure in the fields of molecular biology and environmental sciences. Dr. Zeba F. Alam continues to inspire through her teaching, research, and unwavering commitment to advancing science and education on a global scale.

Ms. Narzalina “Narz” Lim served as Secretary of Tourism under Pres. Corazon Aquino and Pres. Fidel V. Ramos. Before her appointment as Secretary, she was Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Development. After she left public service to rejoin the private sector, she co-founded Asia Pacific Projects, Inc (APPI). a tourism and hospitality consulting company which specialized in preparing strategic plans for tourism destinations and feasibility studies for hotels and resorts. APPI’s work covered areas as far as Iran; India; Sri Lanka as well as China and Southeast Asia. Now retired from consulting, Narz spends her time in community and cause-oriented work. She continues to help her home city, Iloilo, in her capacity as adviser to the Board of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, Inc. (ILED), of which she was president for ten years. She is an alumna of Maryknoll/Miriam College and completed her Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She taught for many years before joining government in 1986, right after the People Power Revolution.

Ambassador Laura Quiambao-Del Rosario, a career diplomat, was in the Philippine Foreign Service for 37 years. In 2003- 2007 she was appointed the Philippine Ambassador to India, the non-resident Ambassador to Nepal and to Bhutan. In 2007-2009 she served as the Philippine Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Upon her return to the Home Office in 2009, she was appointed Director of the Foreign Service Institute until she was designated DFA Undersecretary for International Economic Relations in 2011. As Undersecretary, she oversaw the Philippine hosting of APEC in 2015 as the Chair of the APEC Senior Officials. She retired from government service in 2016. An Eminent Fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines, a Distinguished Fellow of the Asian Institute of Management, and an Eminent Fellow at the Philippine Public Safety College, as well as the Chairman of the Board of Pax et Lumen International Academy in Angeles, she was appointed the 9th President of Miriam College in 2019 until 2025. She is currently a member of the We Protect Our Seas (WPS) Council, a non-government, non-profit, and nonpartisan volunteer-based organization which aims to advance principled approaches to resolving disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea through research and dialogues among the members of the academe, the military, and the private industry throughout Southeast Asia and beyond.