Meet Our Team
Corporate Officers and Staff
Al Strong is chairman, chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of CPS. He has over 30 years of experience in the information technology (IT) recruitment field, as well as a technical background as a programmer/analyst, supervisor and manager. Prior to establishing CPS in 1978, he was the executive vice president of Electronic Systems Personnel Service. He was also the founder of Career Data Personnel, a firm that recruited IT professionals in the Southern California area. A graduate of City College of New York, Al is a member of I/S Associates at The Anderson School at UCLA, a board member of The TechServe Alliance, and a member of the Society for Information Management (SIM). He is past president of The Education Foundation for the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), and of Region One for Data Processing Managers Association (DPMA).
Philip Sawyer is the president of CPS and has been with the company for over 20 years. Born and raised in the Midwest, Phil previously worked for MTW in Kansas City, MO, and has over 26 years of experience in both recruiting and managing IS professionals for contract and Lease to Hire services. A graduate of the University of Missouri with a B.S. in mathematics, Phil also has a M.A. in management from the University of Arkansas. He is a past President of the TechServe Alliance Southern California Chapter and member of the Board of Directors for the TechServe Alliance.
Michele Stewart has given over 26 years of loyal service to CPS and is vice president of finance and administration. Previously with Cutler Williams, Michele attended Santa Monica College and is a California native.
Donna Preston is vice president and a vital member of the CPS management team. Bringing over 18 years of experience in IT recruiting, she has placed hundreds of IT professionals since joining CPS in 1992. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Donna graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara with a B.S. in math and has done post-graduate work in computer science at USC. Prior to working in IT staffing, she worked in the field as a consultant senior programmer/analyst.
Carol Cruz is CPS' staff accountant. Originally from the Philippines, she has 20 years of accounting experience and came to CPS from the entertainment industry. Carol has been with CPS for four years.
Azel Lozano is an integral part of the CPS administration team and brings 16 years of experience working in accounts receivable and billing. Originally from the Philippines, Azel has been with CPS for over six years.