Financial Services

Eric Chriss | Cheryl Bostater | Eric A. Murray
Annette M. Brooking | Cyrus Emadi
| William E. Rogers

Eric Chriss, Principal, CEO
Eric brings experienced leadership to the executive services division. Distinguished as the first West Coast partner of Tatum CFO Partners, LLP, beginning in 1998 during his seven-year tenure Eric became nationally recognized practice leader pioneering the then- nascent CFO practice model. He co-developed it from a virtually unknown strategy into the now widely accepted financial leadership solution. The firm consistently tapped Eric’s executive talents in the development of a multitude of key programs: partner training in technology and client relationship management; recruiting and partnership retention; international business development; and promotional broadcast and print media campaigns designed to educate and amplify the firm’s brand.

Eric’s experience and knowledge-exchange with a wide variety of clients that guided him to form CUSTOMatrix™. The CUSTOMatrix™ methodology begins with recognizing the intellectual value of its client’s management team and their contribution as effective leaders of their company’s operational and financial strategy. Promoting a mutual understanding of this dynamic allows for a custom solution, one designed to maximize organizational effectiveness and to enhance the client’s ability to compete.

Eric has excelled at developing and managing engagements in such diverse industries as: biotech; international aquaculture; pharmaceuticals; medical device; aviation; avionics; homeland security; heavy transportation; industrial equipment; consumer beverage; digital technology and licensing; internationally-based electronics manufacturing; construction; wireless technology; electronic defense systems; software training; animation licensing; fabless semiconductor; and chemical engineering.

He is bilingual in Spanish and began his career with Deloitte Haskins + Sells.

Cheryl Bostater, Principal, Financial Services
Cheryl is a co-founder of CUSTOMatrix™ and is the practice leader for the valuation group. For over 10 years, Cheryl has helped private early-stage and closely-held companies in a variety of industries to determine the value of their equity. Cheryl has valued businesses and partnerships for estate and gift tax purposes; corporate and partnership buy-outs; financial reporting (stock-based compensation); mergers & acquisitions; private placements; and public offerings. She spent three years as an investment banker with broker/dealers, filing micro-capitalization public offerings with the SEC. She was then asked to head up the equity research department for one of the broker/dealers, specializing in telecom and hi-tech companies. She has been awarded the Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation in Business Valuation by the American Society of Appraisers, and awarded a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation by the CFA Institute.

Cheryl earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and began her career as a digital circuit designer for Xerox. In addition, she earned an MBA in Finance, top 10% of class, from Loyola Marymount University, specializing in finance and entrepreneurship.

Eric A. Murray, Principal, Executive Vice President, Financial Services
Eric is the Executive Vice President of CUSTOMatrix™ and is the practice leader for the risk management group. He understands the complexity of risks involved in today’s business environment after having successfully helped manage National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), one of the six major shipbuilders in the United States.

With revenues of $750 million, NASSCO constructed vessels for the United States Navy, commercial high-seas tankers, container ships, and trailer ships for some of the largest ocean transportation and logistic companies in the world. Eric successfully led NASSCO’s financial and risk management operations through four distinct periods of ownership transition: 1) 1978 - Morrison Knudsen Company and Kaiser Industries; 2) 1978-1989 - Morrison Knudsen Company; 3) 1989 -1998 - Stand alone privately held/ESOP company; and 4) 1998 - Acquired by General Dynamics. In his tenure, he was a key member of the executive team, which implemented Deming based quality control and cultural change as part of a company turnaround. Furthermore, he managed corporate capital planning and investment. During NASSCO’s ten years as a private company, he set up treasury, audit and risk management systems and processes; successfully brought workers’ compensation claims administration in house to support a self-insured, self-administered plan; led the effort to pass State legislation eliminating overlapping workers’ compensation security requirements in a dual jurisdiction environment (State and Federal); developed and implemented successful corporate training and employee retention strategies for both union and non union employees; led progressive management of labor relations and hourly employment initiatives; and was an excellent manager of both people and projects in cross functional teams.

Eric began his career with Arthur Young & Company and is a CPA, State of California, member of California Society of CPA’s, Financial Executives Institute and past member of Board of Directors for San Diego Taxpayers Association and Crimestoppers.

Annette M. Brooking, CPA, Associate, Financial Services
Annette is certified as a public accountant, internal auditor, and information systems auditor. She has extensive experience leading audits of hotels, restaurants, marinas, airlines and as the lead manager for the Port of San Diego she had complete responsibility for preparing audit programs, audit reports, financial statements, footnotes, supplemental information, improvements for internal controls, and audit findings and recommendations. Annette has been a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors and served as President and Treasurer of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. She earned her Bachelor in Science in Business Administration, with an Emphasis in Accounting, from San Diego State University.

Cyrus Emadi, Principal, Financial Services
As a result of a referral from CUSTOMatrix™ CEO, Eric Chriss, Cyrus currently serves as CFO for Salient Networks. There he has overseen a financial strategy that has enhanced this premiere AVAYA and CISCO dealer’s revenue dramatically. He converted the QuickBooks-based accounting system to a Great Plains information system which contributed significantly to the attainment of a three-fold increase in the company’s line of credit financing. The system conversion process included the implementation of the budgetary framework, automated inventory tracking, cost accounting, and project management subsystems.

Prior to joining CUSTOMatrix™, Cyrus was an independent financial consultant and provided controller services to an ADOBE training partner, Total Training, Inc., where his oversight of the financial controls and reporting contributed to the successful funding of a sub-debt facility by Huntington Capital of San Diego.

Another client of Cyrus’ was CYCLEPORT USA, of Carlsbad, an international manufacturer of equipment and accessories for the motor sport market. He successfully assisted the owners and management team in their strategy to finance and distribute product manufactured by an off-shore facility. Additionally Cyrus continues to provide financial advisory services for PMI, Inc., a successful management consultant practice based in Las Vegas. Prior to that, he had a successful career in the financial services segment with Citizens National Mortgage Company, Imperial Savings of America, and Ameristar Financial Corporation. Cyrus played a part in the federal government’s program to rescue the savings and loan industry, as an analyst for JAYNES, REITMEIER & GRIJALVA, which was a contractor for the Resolution Trust Corporation.

Cyrus earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an Emphasis in Accounting from San Diego State University.

William E. Rogers, MBA, CFP, EA, Principal, Financial Services
William has been in the financial services industry since 1996 and specializes in the financial planning needs for small businesses. He is experienced in counseling small companies in the areas of tax planning, operations management, setting up management information systems, financial planning, employee benefits, and human resource management. Moreover, he has worked with a wide variety of businesses from different industries and sizes. Over the last six years he has developed a specialization in working with businesses engaging in e-commerce. Thus, he has been instrumental in establishing a unique practice that supports the needs of Internet based companies. He is an Intuit certified QuickBooks Advisor™ and is currently implementing a third-party manufacturing module as part of a CUSTOMatrix™ engagement with Full Swing Golf, of San Diego, California.

Certified as a Financial Planner, a Chartered Life Underwriter, and an Enrolled Agent. William has a degree in Business & Management from the University of Redlands, and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. William is a member of the San Diego Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, Past President of the North County Chapter of the California Society of Tax Consultants, and Past President of the Palomar Chapter of the California Society of Enrolled Agents. Finally, he has been a featured speaker for the Learning Annex, for the California Society of Tax Consultants, and the California Society of Enrolled Agents. Mr. Rogers is enrolled to practice before the IRS.