By REYNALD MAGALLON
James Michael “Jim” Lafferty has been a prominent figure in the corporate world that he is even named by Forbes Middle East as among the Top 100 CEOs for the fourth time this year.
But through all of the busy days running a company as a wise and well-loved executive, Lafferty has never forgotten his love for sports and particularly that of Filipino track athletes.
Outside of his identity as the chief executive officer (CEO) for Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Lafferty has long been known as a keen supporter of Philippine athletics, particularly world class stars in world No. 3 EJ Obiena and three-time Olympian long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang
“I have always been a believer of Filipino talent going back to my days as CEO of Procter and Gamble Philippines. And this belief certainly includes the talent of Filipino athletes,” Lafferty said.
“I do not have any regret supporting both and fighting for them; especially EJ Obiena, who is the world’s top three pole vaulter and Asia’s best. Marestella also proved herself as Asia’s best in 2009 and as a three-time Olympian from 2008, 2012 and 2016.”
He made it to the Forbes list in 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024 largely due to his 39 years of experience working in leading multinational corporations including serving as the CEO for Procter & Gamble, the Coca-Cola Company, and British American Tobacco before joining FHH in 2018.
While he feels honored with the citation, Lafferty acknowledged the power of sports in nation building and fostering national pride and confidence.
“Very thankful to Forbes for recognizing me as a top 100 CEO for the fourth consecutive time. At the same time so proud to be associated with EJ in his journey as one of his coaches and advisers,” he said.
“It is a great pleasure to be of help to someone like EJ. I love the Philippines and he is a great asset to the nation. As I told the Senate, ‘EJ is a world class athlete, but he’s an even better human being’,” he added.
