Raised in Taiwan, Howard Cheong grew up immersed in the world of banking.
His father served as a general manager at Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank while his mother managed a branch of Shanghai Commercial Bank in Taipei, exposing him early to both the local and international sides of finance.
Inspired by their examples, Howard set his sights on building his own banking career in the United States, and he proceeded to migrate from Taipei to attend the American Institute of Banking in Atlanta at age 27.
Howard now serves as Vice President and Business Banking Officer for HomeTrust Bank, based in Alpharetta, Georgia.
In the role, he focuses on supporting companies with annual revenues of $2MM or more with cash flow management and day-to-day banking needs for short and long-term growth opportunities.
He also focuses on helping the bank expand its regional presence while continuing to strengthen relationships within his own community.
Deeply connected to the Asian business landscape in Georgia, Howard plays an active role in helping Asian-owned businesses get established in the US, build credit, and grow their operations.
Among his recent successes, Howard enabled a manufacturing company with $50MM in annual revenue to achieve significant savings by reducing treasury fees and lowering interest costs. In another instance, he worked with a CPA firm generating $2MM in annual revenue to streamline its financial structure and cut checking, merchant service, and electronic transfer fees totaling thousands of dollars per year.
Before joining HomeTrust, Howard held roles at several mid to large-size banks, including two decades at Wells Fargo in a variety of roles spanning business consulting and management and as a De Novo Market Manager at Fifth Third.
Howard remains an active participant in the Greater North Fulton and Gwinnett Chambers of Commerce, in addition to the Peachtree Corners Business Association.
He lives in the Johns Creek area of Georgia with his wife and children and enjoys playing tennis and golf, in addition to watching most sports and rooting for his adopted Georgia teams.
He still maintains close ties to Taiwan and regularly travels back to visit his parents, in-laws, and extended family.
