Bill Brewster, who serves as Chief Operating Officer for the global nonprofit Children International, didn’t begin his career in the nonprofit sector. When he discovered how his business-centric expertise could help transform lives, however, he seized the opportunity to make a daily impact.
Trained as an industrial engineer, Bill spent nearly two decades at Hallmark Cards, ultimately leading complex logistics and process improvement initiatives as the company’s Vice President of Operations. He went on to found Excel Logistics, a freight and transportation company that allowed him to apply his operational expertise as an entrepreneur.
By most measures, Bill was successful, but something was missing.
That changed when a former Hallmark colleague, Susana Eshleman, now President and CEO of Children International, invited him to help think through challenges at the organization. Based in Kansas City, Children International helps children and youth in 10 countries, including the United States, forge a path out of poverty.
What began as a short-term advisory assignment soon turned into something more personal. A trip to Ecuador with Children International staff, board members and prospective donors exposed Bill to the realities behind Children International’s mission. He met young people and families whose lives were being transformed by access to education, health care resources, and life and job skills training.
He spoke with many young adults who participated in Children International’s sponsorship program. They shared how their lives were before the program and how being enrolled in Children International programming had led to drastic improvements.
“It was emotional,” he recalls. “I didn’t fully understand the human aspect—the conditions, the kids, the commitment of the staff (based in Ecuador) —until I saw it firsthand.”
After declining an offer to become a part of the leadership team at Children International, Bill found himself unable to sleep. “I was struggling,” he says. “I went back and thought, ‘You know what? I think I will join.’”
That was 10 years ago. Today, as Chief Operating Officer, Bill’s day-to-day work centers on alignment, which means ensuring that Children International’s employees, systems and organizational strategy are moving in sync. His background in operations informs his leadership approach: connecting fundraising promises to real-world impact, aligning internal systems with field execution and guiding teams through large-scale organizational change.
When Bill considers the impact Children International has made on hundreds of thousands of lives, he credits the organization’s dedicated employees and its culture of care and empowerment. “We’ve rebuilt systems, but more importantly, we’ve invested in people.”
Much of his work has focused on strengthening internal culture, reengineering outdated processes and shifting the global nonprofit from transactional models of support to long-term value creation. “It’s not just about providing material assistance,” Bill explains. “It’s about helping parents become better parents, helping kids see their potential and building skills so they can help themselves.”
As Children International marks its 90th anniversary, Bill remains grateful for the nonprofit’s endurance, while laser focusing on its future. He is leading efforts to re-imagine the organization’s child sponsorship program and to deliver greater impact with greater efficiency.
What gives him the greatest hope are the people closest to the mission — mothers whose expectations, sacrifices and commitment profoundly shape their children’s futures, as well as the young people themselves.
“At the end of the day,” he says, “it’s about the kids and the moms. That’s what gives me hope. They’re smart, motivated and capable. They just need opportunity.”
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