Ms. Josephine Romero

MS. JOSEPHINE C. ROMERO’s work focuses on national workforce development and regional digital transformation in the Philippines. Her primary efforts address the country’s critical job-skills mismatch.

As President of the Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corporation (PCORP) and head secretariat for the President’s Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) – Education and Jobs Sector Group, Ms. Romero is involved in designing and implementing national-level strategies. She works to bridge the gap between education and industry, building a future-ready Filipino workforce. A key initiative she now leads is the enhanced work immersion pilot program to increase the job readiness of senior high school students.

On the regional stage, Ms. Romero serves as the Senior Adviser for Digital to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) Philippines. In this capacity, she helps shape the digital transformation agenda, with a particular focus on preparing enterprises and the workforce for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. Concurrently, she is the CEO of Zip Financial Technologies Inc., a startup driving innovation in the fintech sector.

Ms. Romero’s current roles are built on a distinguished career that includes over 10 years in diplomatic service and 20 years in entrepreneurship—a passion sparked by growing up in an entrepreneurial environment. She formerly served the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as Chief of Staff to the Trade Secretary and as a Special Trade Representative in key global markets, including New York and Silicon Valley. She is also a certified mentor for Go Negosyo’s KMME Program, guiding MSMEs in their digital journey.

She holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of the Philippines and has completed several executive leadership programs in the United States. Ms. Romero also serves as an Independent Board Director of EON Stakeholder Relations Inc. and a Founding Board Director of the Proptech Consortium of the Philippines.