Mr. James E. Thompson, GBS

Chairman, The Crown Worldwide Group

James E. Thompson, GBS is the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Crown Worldwide Group of Companies. Crown Worldwide is a logistics company performing various types of warehousing and transportation services throughout the world. The Crown Group is the largest privately owned company in the field of international removals with over 250 worldwide locations in more than 50 countries around the world. Crown is also a leader in the field of document management with over seventeen million cartons of business documents managed from its worldwide facilities. Mr. Thompson graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He came to Asia shortly after completion of his university studies and has lived in Japan and Hong Kong ever since. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of the San Jose State University Business School. The Crown Worldwide Group employs over 4,000 full time staff around the world as well as a large number of contracted personnel. The company has been awarded the prestigious Hong Kong Award for Services in Export Marketing, and received the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce Innovative Services Award twice. Crown has also received the DHL/South China Morning Post International Award as Hong Kong’s best international company. Mr. Thompson is currently a member of the Investment Promotion Ambassador Scheme, and a non-executive Director of the Board of the Wharf (Holdings) Ltd. He also serves as a member of HKTDC HK-EU Business Cooperation Committee, a member of HK-US Business Council and a member of HK-Japan Business Cooperation Committee. He served as a Board Member of Ocean Park Corporation, the Chairman of HKTDC Logistics Services Advisory Committee from 2004 to 2008, a Council member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council from 2002 to 2004, a member of the Hong Kong Trade and Industry Advisory Board and a member of the ICAC Advisory Committee on Corruption. He also served two terms as the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong for 2002 and 2003. Additionally, Mr. Thompson serves as a member of the Hong Kong Forum and Vision 2047 which are organizations that actively discuss Hong Kong issues with visiting politicians, journalists and academics that visit Hong Kong. He was also a member of the Board of the Hong Kong-America Centre and has been a delegate representing Hong Kong on numerous Hong Kong Trade Development Council trade missions around the world. Mr. Thompson also serves as Chairman or as a Board member of numerous charitable organizations. His particular interests are charities related to children, cancer and education. He is the member of the corporate fund raising committee of Changing Young Lives Foundation, the head of Community Business Leadership Team, a member of the Executive Committee of the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care, is on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and a trustee of Outward Bound. He currently chairs the Annual “Hike for Hospice” Charity event. Mr. Thompson was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star, Hong Kong’s second highest awards, by the Hong Kong Government in 2003 Mr. Thompson is a U.S. citizen and a permanent resident of Hong Kong having lived here for 32 years. His wife, Sally is British. His two children Jennifer and James Jr. work for Crown New York and Crown Beijing respectively.