Pinoy Pro – Celebrating the Professional Pinoy

Ferdinand M. Soriano

Senior Surveyor / ISM & ISPS Auditor

Lloyd’s Register EMEA – Dubai

Ferdinand ‘Ferds’ Soriano was born and raised in Tarlac City, as the second youngest among nine siblings. A working student, he graduated from NAMEI Polytechnic Institute in 1992 earning a B.S. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering degree, with honors.  Ferds gained invaluable experience in the marine field working with RWR Marine Works, Twin Hull Shipyard, Double Hull Shipyard, Petron Corporation, Bureau Veritas and Lloyd’s Register, which he joined in 2002.  He has also worked in various countries including – Singapore, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, Sri Lanka, Cape Town, Bahrain, Oman and India because of his career as Class LR Marine Surveyor and Auditor, and had the privilege to study and train in London for his professional upgrading.  His career continues with short term assignments in Shanghai, China and Cebu, Philippines at a senior management and technical level.  Ferds currently works in Dubai, as Senior Surveyor/ISM & ISPS Auditor for Lloyds Registed EMEA. Ferds, who is a member of respected Institutions – TWI (UK), RINA (UK), SNAME (USA), PANAME (PH) SONAME INC. (PH), BCCP (PH) and LSG. Aux. Phil. Navy, enjoys reading, surfing, eating spicy foods and playing with his kids. He lives in Dubai with his wife Rosalie, and two kids.

Anna Villanueva–Cardoso

Deputy Director of Sales

Four Points Sheraton Complex – Dubai

Anna Villanueva-Cardoso, a Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate from the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu, Philippines, started her hotelier career in 1993 as a Receptionist at the Forte Grand Hotel in Abu Dhabi (now Le Royal Meridien).  She joined the opening team of the Sofitel City Center in 1998 as Front Office Supervisor and was promoted as Reservation Manager within two years.  She then shifted to Corporate Sales at the Sheraton Deira Hotel for three years and became a part of the pre-opening team of the Four Points Sheraton Complex – Sheikh Zayed and Downtown properties back in July 2007 as Senior Sales Manager.  Anna currently functions as Deputy Director of Sales. Married to Peter Cardoso, an Indian Travel Professional, with two children, Anna is an avid member of PEACE (Pinoy Expats Auto Club in the Emirates) a family-oriented group actively involved in any Filipino community activities in the UAE.  Her lifelong ambition is to be able to  transform an inherited beach property back home, into a resort hotel and tourist destination in memory of her late mother.

Kirby Zalameda

Senior Project Designer

KEO International Consultants – Abu Dhabi

Senior Project Designer Kirby Zalameda is a second generation Overseas Filipino (OF) with 15 years of experience from working with companies such as RMJM Philippines, Kajiwara Gallagher Paine Design Studio and Meinhardt International. He originally joined KEO International Consultants in its head office in Kuwait in early 2005 as an Architect.  He was promoted to Senior Architect and eventually to his current position as Senior Project Designer during his four year stay with the head office. While in Kuwait, he was given senior design responsibilities for the international competition held for the Kuwait Investment Authority headquarters wherein KEO won. He also performed the same role as part of the team which designed the first LEED^® accredited building in Kuwait. In the beginning of 2009, he was offered to transfer with this design team to the UAE in the Abu Dhabi headquarters. Since then, his portfolio has been filled with projects ranging from large scale high-rise residential and mixed use, commercial, hospitality, education, government, civic and housing developments. This year, his portfolio has been submitted by KEO to the 2010 ITP Middle-East Architect Awards and he has been short-listed for the category of Architect of the Year. Aside from the full-time profession, he is also a new member in the recently chartered United Architects of the Philippines – Abu Dhabi chapter, currently assigned to play the role of Editor-in-Chief for its chapter’s journal arm. He resides in Abu Dhabi with his architect wife Rosalyn also with KEO and their daughter Ysabella.

Florinda Pamintuan

Journalist, Public Relations Executive

Venture Communications – Dubai

A mother of three, Flor Pamintuan arrived in Dubai in 2006 after spending 12 years in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands where she worked as Operations Manager for a marketing and advertising agency and as Senior Reporter for a local newspaper. Flor started working abroad since 1994 and has been visiting Dubai since 2000. She witnessed the developments happening in the country and realized its potentials so after being prodded by her siblings, Flor and her family decided to relocate. Flor first worked for Kalimat Group International as Editor of Travel Arabia, an English travel magazine published in Dubai. Her job brought her to different countries in Asia and the Middle East. She says of this experience, “Never had I imagined that I would be able to set foot on these places where I experienced different cultures, met other nationalities and learnt from their history. The trips were very interesting and very educational. By writing about these places, I was able to share with the readers the beauty of each country that I have visited.” In 2009, Flor decided to try her chance at Public Relations. She now works for Venture Communications and is in charge of English media relations. Her current job is an entirely different role but Flor views the change as another learning experience.  She still writes for several publications in Dubai and spends her free time with eight year old daughter Thea and husband Aven.