Guest of Honor and Speaker’s Profile: Robert Lim Joseph, Ph.D.

Robert Lim Joseph is not only a recognized leader and pillar of the tourism industry; he is also an authoritative and esteemed figure in the cargo forwarding sector. He has extensive experience in global forwarding and deep knowledge about cargo operations obtained from years working with foreign airlines and as top management running the family’s cargo and freight forwarding business. His advocacy is to help students and employees understand the complex systems governing modern freight forwarding and apply this knowledge in their work.

As early as 1986, Mr. Joseph was already exposed to the cargo business when the Joseph family set up its own freight forwarding company. This company, the Columbia Transport or Coltrans, turns 25 this year. He has also been writing about issues on the cargo industry since 1986, which saw print in a number of national publications.

Mr. Joseph took over the company’s helm as its President in 1992 after retiring from Kuwait Airways. His experience as district sales manager for passenger and cargo for almost 10 years in Kuwait Airways came in handy when his time came to run the family business. Prior to Kuwait Airways, Mr. Joseph also worked for Korean Airlines, a stint which gave him an opportunity to learn basic and advanced cargo operations in Philippine Airlines. While in Kuwait Airways, he undertook various seminars on cargo operations in Kuwait and the Philippines, as well as led the training programs with cargo agents in the country.

Mr. Joseph chaired the Air Cargo Panel of IATA (International Air Transport Association), which is the highest policy making body in the industry. He co-founded the Cargo Training Center, a cargo agency training center, in collaboration with Mr. Roberto Hukom, the then country manager of Gulf Air, to jumpstart the Dangerous Drugs Course while waiting for the International Air Transport accreditation. The Center allows cargo agents to get cheaper training programs and is a source of income for the Air Cargo Association of the Philippines. He established the first cargo brokerage firm in Subic, the Coltrans Cargo, in ’87 - ’88, and initiated the bringing in of exhibition starting with energy in 1992. He was given the Lifetime Award by the Global Carriers, an award given by the airline cargo industry, and was an awardee of the Board of Airline Representatives, the highest governing policy making body of airlines in the country.