From humble beginnings, Filipina CEO of London firm now pays it forward

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Having grown up amid poverty and judgment, this Filipina head of a London-based healthcare firm is now paying it forward by helping children back home have more access to education and opportunities.

Katherine Micoleta Whellams, 42, is the chief executive officer of Belgravia Intermediary Services, a private medical insurance and employee benefits intermediary.

But she has never forgotten her long journey out of poverty and recognizes how difficult it must be for others in similar circumstances to attain an education and break the cycle of poverty in their families.

“I believe reading is the key to everything: to dream, to learn, and to open a window to the wider world,” said Whellams in an email interview.

She added: “Looking ahead, I want to take bigger steps in teaching children from provinces vital lessons about life – especially financial education. It is not something we are taught in school, yet it is essential to breaking cycles of poverty.”

She has spent the past 20 years in London and was recognized as one of the best brokers in the United Kingdom.

Now, Whellams gives back to Filipino youths back home by quietly funding scholarships, supporting feeding and reading programs, and advocating for financial education among the youth.

“I offer help to people who may never ask but whom, I know, truly need it. Much of my charity work is unseen, but it comes from the heart,” she said.

She also wants to show young Filipinos back home “not only how to make money, but how to manage, save, and invest it – because financial literacy is the foundation of lasting change.”

“Poverty is real – I know because I lived it. But today, we are in a different generation. Every Filipino now has access to the internet and a phone or computer, yet too often we use this technology in ways that do not serve us. The truth is, learning finance does not require money – it requires the will to understand how to make and manage it,” Whellams said.

“With the resources available online, nothing is impossible. We don’t always need to uproot ourselves; what we need is to educate ourselves and use the tools already within our reach,” she added.

Difficult beginnings

Success and comfort did not come easy for Whellams, a Bicolana who was left in the care of her grandparents as a child. Whellams said her grandparents did not approve of her existence as a “bastard child.”

She said her parents were both young when they had her and she was left in the care of her grandparents.

Whellam remembered being made to wait “just to receive P5 every couple of weeks” and watching how her grandparents warmly treated their “legitimate” grandchildren.

“I stood by quietly, hoping for just a little help to buy food,” she recalled.

When she was six, Whellams began selling food so that she could earn a little money for her school supplies. She also helped her grandmother sell pinangat and kakanin “just so we could afford rice and medicine.”

“I cared for my sick grandparents, endured the stigma of being called a ‘bastard,’ having to borrow from neighbors when we had nothing to eat, and the meanness of those who judged us,” she said.

Lifeline

Despite her circumstances, Whellams instinctively recognized education as her lifeline, eventually earning a full scholarship at Adamson University where she studied political science.

She juggled her studies with a full-time job at a fastfood restaurant and her role as a student leader, and graduated with cum laude honors.

She was then working in the call center industry when she met Dominic Whellams, a British national visiting the Philippines.

His intention was originally to stay and work in the Philippines, but the post-recession economy brought him back to the UK and she decided to go with him to begin a new chapter.

Opportunities, not challenges

Upon arriving in the UK, Whellams chose not to dwell on challenges before her, but to see opportunities.

“A wise piece of advice guided me: ‘Never feel that you are less just because you are Filipino,’” Whellams said, adding that she used those ‘challenges’ such as her heritage, gender, and the prejudice she faced to fuel her drive to succeed.

“I worked harder, learned longer, and proved that I was more than just a young Filipina in a dress stepping into a financial world dominated by graduates of Oxford and the Ivy League,” she added.

Whellams admitted that building a financial firm in one of the most regulated industries in the world has not been easy.

She has witnessed her seven employees – a diverse mix of Filipinos, British and Pakistani nationals – achieve their own successes along the daily blessings that she also receives and pays forward.

Standing where she is right now, Whellam said her journey is a constant reminder to herself that her sacrifices bore fruit.

“It has been a remarkable journey – from a small farm town to corporate Manila – to running a respected financial services business in one of the world’s most competitive markets. In today’s world, everyone has a seat at the table – you just have to claim it. With hard work, belief, and determination, you too can build a successful, fulfilling, and happy life,” she added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News