I don’t consider the traditional career ladder as success... Instead of planning your career, focus on developing skills and pursuing opportunities.

At Aboitiz, transformation is a mindset and for Kiara Rioferio, that mindset was rooted in her experience in HR. Today, as a Corporate Strategy Manager at Aboitiz Equity Ventures, she crafts big-picture strategies, guided by a core belief: people are at the heart of any meaningful change.

Starting with People

Kiara studied psychology without a clear career path in mind. But during her on-the-job training, the corporate setting called to her, specifically, the opportunity to support the 90% who appear “okay” but might be silently struggling. Thus, her early HR days were filled with quiet conversations, moments of trust that shaped her people-first compass.

“Many people hope for HR to be their refuge, especially when they can’t find safe spaces elsewhere at work. Yes, we have multiple programs for employees, but looking back, the biggest moments were conversations I’ve had with people. These were moments of vulnerability, of trust, of confidence.”

Taking the Leap

Kiara’s pivot from HR to business transformation wasn’t accidental. While still in HR, she immersed herself in innovation work, earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and drafted related future roles for herself in Hedcor’s 2020 Career Path Program. When AP launched the Innovator’s Tribe, she joined instinctively, ‘lukso ng dugo’ driven by preparation, curiosity, and grit.

“I had imposter syndrome. But even if I had to rewind everything, I’d still choose this path over staying safe in HR.”

She started with A-trepreneur and Novel Protein in the Foundry, then continued to Core Transformation programs and Foresight, pushing her beyond her comfort zone.

Connecting the Dots

Now in Corporate Strategy, Kiara brings together her HR empathy and innovation mindset. While others see HR, Transformation, and Strategy as separate tracks, she sees a throughline.

“At first glance, HR, Transformation, and Strategy seem unrelated. But the common thread is people. With the right mindset, support, and vision, people will execute and deliver.”

Her operations background helps her stay grounded. And her biggest asset? The ability to read the room and navigate people through change, skills first sharpened in HR. She emphasizes that success in strategy isn’t just about good ideas, it’s about enabling people to act on them.

“It doesn’t matter how sexy the ideas sound if you’re not able to get people to do what you want them to do.”

Growth Through Change

Kiara’s journey hasn’t followed a traditional ladder, and that’s exactly the point. She believes focusing too much on a fixed plan can be limiting. Instead, she encourages peers to develop capabilities and stay alert for the next opportunity.

Those capabilities led her to start Silingan Kofi, a small home cafe inspired by a local gap in the market. It was a weekend idea-turned-business, built on quick feedback and iteration. The entrepreneurial mindset she demonstrated didn’t come out of nowhere – it was shaped by her time in the Transformation Team.

“I think unconsciously I’m still using the frameworks we learned… Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition Canvas. What helped me is the speed of execution and getting faster feedback loops. Less overthinking and more execution.”

Redefining Identity and Trusting the Unknown

The biggest shift, she says, came in how she viewed herself

“Once I stopped seeing myself just as an HR person, I saw that my strengths as Kiara can be applied to whatever situation I get thrown into.”

Kiara is no longer fixated on knowing what’s next. Instead, she trusts the process of continuous learning, both in her work at AEV and in her entrepreneurial journey. For those walking their own paths at Aboitiz, she encourages us to embrace the unfamiliar through micro-changes: those small, intentional tweaks that train us to live with uncertainty,

“Start with small changes so you can get used to uncertainty. Talk to someone from a different team. Ask a question during the town hall. Create a custom GPT. Create a new pre-work ritual. Listen to a new artist. Anything. Just continuously inject micro changes into your day and subject yourself to uncertainty.”

With Kiara, the message is clear: your career doesn’t have to follow a straight line. You just have to stay open, stay curious, and be ready when the moment comes.