Professional Experience:
James G. Yarbrough, Asia-Pacific Director, Resource Development for 'Habitat for Humanity' (www.habitat.org/ap); Director, International Business Development, Transpo International Ltd. (www.asiantigers-thailand.com)
Habitat for Humanity International (www.habitat.org/ap) works to empower low-income families and communities through financial aid and partnerships to create decent and affordable homes for themselves. There are 24 countries comprising the HFHI network in Asia-Pacific. To date more than 850,000 homes have been built for family partners. HFH is also engaged in responding to the immediate shelter needs of families displaced by disasters. By end of 2024 Habitat plans to annually serve over 200,000 families in Asia-Pacific.
Jim was a 25-year veteran in the international moving, freight forwarding, and warehousing industries, was the Country Manager of Brink’s Thailand, a subsidiary of Brink’s Inc., the oldest and most respected security company in the world. Jim served in this capacity for seven years winning multiple international awards for management and service excellence.
Jim served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee and Director of Operation Smile Thailand for seven years. OS is an INGO that arranges free surgeries for disadvantaged children with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities. With his efforts, aided by some Rotary friends, Operation Smile is now a very successful self-sustaining foundation and since 2001 has provided over 15,000 free surgeries to Thai children with facial deformities.
Jim has managed and owned warehousing and forwarding companies in Panama, Thailand, Indonesia, and the US. In ‘88 he moved to Asia, dividing his time between Bangkok and Jakarta. Much of Jim’s working career has been as the senior manager brought-in to rescue and bring back to service excellence and profitability ailing and inefficiently operating companies.
Jim was an avid sportsman. He also has taught college level courses in Negotiations, Leadership, and Personal Effectiveness.
Jim is a graduate of the University of Southern California (International Relations and Economics) and Master’s program at UCLA (Public Administration and Computer Information Systems).
Always striving to be a positive contributor to his community Jim has formerly been the president of several school boards, industry organizations, and charitable institutions. Jim co-founded the Visitor Aloha Services of Hawaii (VASH), a volunteer based program organizing and funneling community and corporate support to tourists who were victims of crime. During his first tour in Thailand Jim co-founded the ‘Adopt-a-Bus’ project which worked to reduce air pollution by retro-fitting catalytic converters on municipal buses.
Jim has served as a Governor for eight years of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand.
Jim published his book, "Small Bites" on his website www.LifeinSmallBites.com
Jim has been a proud Rotarian for more than 30 years.