A Day in the Life of the President (of Cedarglen Homes)
Howard participating in the Wellspring TriWELLathon
Have you ever wondered how someone becomes the President of a company? I sat down with Howard Tse to hear his story for this week’s introductions blog.
Howard is the current President of Cedarglen Homes, a position he has headed since 2011, when Scott Haggins handed over the reins. However, Howard isn’t a new face in the company. Starting in 2000, Howard joined Cedarglen as a Systems Analyst, and from there he moved up to IT Manager. In 2004, Cedarglen was going through process improvements, and with that, Howard took over as Estimating and Purchasing Manager. Needless to say, Howard knows every corner of the office.
Behind his years of experience at Cedarglen, Howard boasts a wide variety of educational feats. He first obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, with a Major in Criminology. He still applies the knowledge gained from his Sociology degree on a daily basis, which may come as a surprise those thinking it would be of no use to a President. Howard also obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems from DeVry, and is also a Certified Master Builder and Certified Master Renovator.
The day-to-day activities of a company President are very exciting: he ensures “daily operations are aligned with our strategic goals”, as Howard best explains it. In other words, he makes sure everyone is working on tasks that benefit Cedarglen. When I suggested to Howard that a study found Executives take an average of 35 minutes for lunch, Howard’s response: if he’s lucky! Although he’s a pretty busy guy, Howard makes an effort to use our company gym, something he suggests everyone take the time to do.
Now for the fun stuff! Here are Howard’s answers to the Favorite Questions:
Favorite Showhome: The Fontaine, located in Panorama Hills (311 Panatella Heath NW, in case you want to check it out for yourself)
Favorite Hobby: Backgammon
Favorite Restaurant: Il Centro; the roasted jalapeños are Howard’s favorite
Favorite Weekend Activity: Driving his three kids around to soccer practice
Favorite part about working at Cedarglen Homes: The People! The Executive Team in place works amazing together, and Howard feels like he has grown up with the staff.
Have a question or comment? Let me know in the comments below! - Ashley