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.
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.’”
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