JAMES W. CHANG Founder and CEO of Ponderosa Land Development Company James, could you start by sharing the core vision behind Ponderosa Land Development Company and how it has evolved under your leadership? Since the founding of Ponderosa in 2000, our core vision of developing and managing superior commercial retail real estate assets occupied by market-dominant tenants in demographically desirable locations remains steadfast and has changed very little. We believe the success and longevity in being able to carry out this core vision for almost three decades is a direct testament to its lasting endurance. The retail real estate sector is a dynamic, exciting, and constantly changing space that is affected by many different endogenous and exogenous factors. As the founder and leader of Ponderosa, I constantly strive to find opportunities to expand Ponderosa’s business operations while pursuing ways to operate our internal synergies more effectively and efficiently. All that we do at Ponderosa is effectuated under the purview of our core vision. Whether managing the expansion strategies of our retail tenants or adjusting to market driven rental rates and capitalization rates, we are extremely proud to create significant value through Ponderosa’s disciplined approach of developing and managing our retail properties. As CEO, how would you describe your leadership style and how has it influenced the company’s growth and development strategies? As the CEO of Ponderosa, my overriding style in leading is surrounding Ponderosa with talented, driven, and perseverant individuals and allowing these individuals to independently add value at any and all levels to support our growth strategies. A foundational centerpiece of Ponderosa’s business strategy is investing in tenants, consultants, and stakeholders who are committed to adding significant value to the retail projects we develop and manage. More importantly, we continually seek to affiliate with parties who understand that service, quality, and value are paramount to successful business endeavors and relationships. ENVIRONMENT & LAND DEVELOPMENT CEO OF THE YEAR CEO Today Global Awards 2024 - USA - - 83 -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz